March Banter 2023

[Jebman]

4 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said:

I've been there once and it's phenomenal skiing.  They are less than three feet away from their all-time snowiest winter.  The record is 668" and before today, they are at 634" so they shouldn't have any trouble beating it soon.

They WILL beat it soon! Those aggregates are so big and fluffy! I think they are supposed to pick up maybe 3 FEET of fresh pow in the next few days! Poor palisades, getting drier and drier with time.

[Jebman]

This storm today has really let me down, all up and down the Sierran Cordillera.

Now I feel like a fracking full-fledged debbie downer, and a brother to Ji besides. This winter sucks.

Winter is ending record-early in the West, and flooding will be so bad, everything will end up washing into the Pacific or into Lake Mead. Millions of people and octillions of metric tons of mud will cascade down all of the western mountains, because winter is over, even above 13000 feet.

I HATE BEING LET DOWN SO HARD. I really should have known all along.

I need to find the ultimate Jump off the Cliff gif. Its a damned trainwreck, makes east Ohio look like frackin' Paradise!

[Jebman]

I would never have imagined, that a storm could so completely fizzle out in California THIS winter.

But, it did fizzle out. Wow, even the Sierras and the Rockies can get Lucy'd lmao.

At least Palisades wont feel the urge to have FIVE MEN clear a small platform at the 8200' level. You could use a broom to clear that inch of fluff up there!

Only nine more months to the next Sierra Winter!

[mattie g]

Summer swim is truly in full swing now!

We had our Team rep meeting this past Sunday where we went over administrative stuff (including the votes on changes to the bylaws and all that boring stuff) and found out which divisions we're going to be in. We moved up one division, which is pretty much what we figured...and it's a good place for us!

Bummer is that we found out that one of our top swimmers is going to a different poll this summer. She's killed it this winter and is moving to stay with her club coach in the summer. Pretty disappointing, but whatever. And then we found out last night that our top family is moving soon . They're staying on the team for at least this summer, but man...what a kick in the nuts. As a small team, we just can't handle blows like that, so the "recruitment" of new families in the nearby neighborhoods is going into full effect!

[hstorm]

5 hours ago, mattie g said:

Summer swim is truly in full swing now!

We had our Team rep meeting this past Sunday where we went over administrative stuff (including the votes on changes to the bylaws and all that boring stuff) and found out which divisions we're going to be in. We moved up one division, which is pretty much what we figured...and it's a good place for us!

Bummer is that we found out that one of our top swimmers is going to a different poll this summer. She's killed it this winter and is moving to stay with her club coach in the summer. Pretty disappointing, but whatever. And then we found out last night that our top family is moving soon . They're staying on the team for at least this summer, but man...what a kick in the nuts. As a small team, we just can't handle blows like that, so the "recruitment" of new families in the nearby neighborhoods is going into full effect!

That stinks and is one reason why I am glad that we have no other pools near us.  Little risk of kids being poached or heading to a different pool.  (On the flip side, we have a significant waitlist, so hard to bring in new kids.)

[nw baltimore wx]

The accident on the Baltimore beltway today is absolutely horrible. 
 

[North Balti Zen]

18 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said:

The accident on the Baltimore beltway today is absolutely horrible. 
 

I heard racing, is that what you are hearing? They race out there ALL THE TIME- 695 is almost safer at rush hour because you can't go faster than 20. If it is midday or the weekend or late evening not uncommon for assholes to be going 100+ across all lanes racing each other. So senseless. 

[nw baltimore wx]

10 minutes ago, North Balti Zen said:

I heard racing, is that what you are hearing? They race out there ALL THE TIME- 695 is almost safer at rush hour because you can't go faster than 20. If it is midday or the weekend or late evening not uncommon for assholes to be going 100+ across all lanes racing each other. So senseless. 

I have not heard details other than it sounds like a vehicle somehow used one of the openings in the jersey walls and drove into the work zone. Sounds like most if not all fatalities were workers.

[paulythegun]

One more wave to track! middle of next week! don't give up yet!

[Stormfly]

44 minutes ago, North Balti Zen said:

I heard racing, is that what you are hearing? They race out there ALL THE TIME- 695 is almost safer at rush hour because you can't go faster than 20. If it is midday or the weekend or late evening not uncommon for assholes to be going 100+ across all lanes racing each other. So senseless. 

I-83...JFX too.  I've been passed like I was standing still and I was going 85!

[nj2va]

1 hour ago, nw baltimore wx said:

I have not heard details other than it sounds like a vehicle somehow used one of the openings in the jersey walls and drove into the work zone. Sounds like most if not all fatalities were workers.

Geez, that's terrible.  Police: 6 dead after work-zone crash on Baltimore Beltway - WTOP News

 

[pazzo83]

5 hours ago, nw baltimore wx said:

I have not heard details other than it sounds like a vehicle somehow used one of the openings in the jersey walls and drove into the work zone. Sounds like most if not all fatalities were workers.

if the driver survived they need to be charged with murder

[nw baltimore wx]

14 minutes ago, pazzo83 said:

if the driver survived they need to be charged with murder

Last I heard, they are alive. I don’t want to rush to judgement, but if this person was impaired, racing, etc, then, yeah, I totally agree.

I drive that part of the beltway everyday and I don’t see how someone was traveling at that rate of speed and managed to get in between the openings of the jersey walls. The openings are spaced far apart and they are not big.  Just tragic.

[H2O]

12 hours ago, nj2va said:

Geez, that's terrible.  Police: 6 dead after work-zone crash on Baltimore Beltway - WTOP News

 

This is why I’m glad I’m retired. This is stuff I was exposed to. Careless drivers and despite plenty of cokes and light and precautions you get this. 
 

Unless it was a medical emergency my bet is drunk driver or texting

[mappy]

9 hours ago, pazzo83 said:

if the driver survived they need to be charged with murder

 

9 hours ago, nw baltimore wx said:

Last I heard, they are alive. I don’t want to rush to judgement, but if this person was impaired, racing, etc, then, yeah, I totally agree.

I drive that part of the beltway everyday and I don’t see how someone was traveling at that rate of speed and managed to get in between the openings of the jersey walls. The openings are spaced far apart and they are not big.  Just tragic.

the 52 year old driver wasn't racing. she tried to change lanes and clipped another car, lost control and spun out through an opening in a jersey wall, flipped the car, and killed 6 constructor workers. sounds like a typical accident that just happened to end tragically. 

edit to add: news said she more than likely would be charged, probably vehicular manslaughter. i feel for all those involved. how horrible that driver must feel. 

[clskinsfan]

@stormtracker Did you see this? They pulled Beethoven's DNA sequence from locks of his hair. Apparently it wasnt just his drinking that killed him. He was predisposed genetically to have liver disease. And he had hepatitis B as well. Modern science is something else.

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/locks-hair-compose-symphony-genetic-information-beethoven-2023-03-22/

[mdhokie]

2 hours ago, mappy said:

 

the 52 year old driver wasn't racing. she tried to change lanes and clipped another car, lost control and spun out through an opening in a jersey wall, flipped the car, and killed 6 constructor workers. sounds like a typical accident that just happened to end tragically. 

edit to add: news said she more than likely would be charged, probably vehicular manslaughter. i feel for all those involved. how horrible that driver must feel. 

"clipped a car" I see tons of terrible lane changes every day. People in a big hurry and weaving through traffic. She needs to be charged but I won't hold my breath. For some reason driving like an idiot is a badge of honor in this country. Its not just bad driving. Drunk drivers get a slaps on the wrist until they kill someone, and even then they might not make it to jail. 

Remember this one? Ex-Bishop who struck and killed cyclist released from prison (wmar2news.com) She served a couple years for MURDER! You go shoot and kill someone and see how many years you get. 

Sorry, terrible driving and the lack of responsibility and repercussions is a sore subject for me. 

[stormtracker]

21 minutes ago, clskinsfan said:

@stormtracker Did you see this? They pulled Beethoven's DNA sequence from locks of his hair. Apparently it wasnt just his drinking that killed him. He was predisposed genetically to have liver disease. And he had hepatitis B as well. Modern science is something else.

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/locks-hair-compose-symphony-genetic-information-beethoven-2023-03-22/

Damn, Ludwig

[hstorm]

6 minutes ago, mdhokie said:

"clipped a car" I see tons of terrible lane changes every day. People in a big hurry and weaving through traffic. She needs to be charged but I won't hold my breath. For some reason driving like an idiot is a badge of honor in this country. Its not just bad driving. Drunk drivers get a slaps on the wrist until they kill someone, and even then they might not make it to jail. 

Remember this one? Ex-Bishop who struck and killed cyclist released from prison (wmar2news.com) She served a couple years for MURDER! You go shoot and kill someone and see how many years you get. 

Sorry, terrible driving and the lack of responsibility and repercussions is a sore subject for me. 

Vehicular manslaughter requires proof of gross negligence by the driver.  That's a tough standard that goes far beyond bad driving (it essentially requires a knowing disregard for a risk to human life).  While we certainly don't know all of the facts, I'm skeptical that gross negligence could be shown in this case.  

[mappy]

19 minutes ago, mdhokie said:

"clipped a car" I see tons of terrible lane changes every day. People in a big hurry and weaving through traffic. She needs to be charged but I won't hold my breath. For some reason driving like an idiot is a badge of honor in this country. Its not just bad driving. Drunk drivers get a slaps on the wrist until they kill someone, and even then they might not make it to jail. 

Remember this one? Ex-Bishop who struck and killed cyclist released from prison (wmar2news.com) She served a couple years for MURDER! You go shoot and kill someone and see how many years you get. 

Sorry, terrible driving and the lack of responsibility and repercussions is a sore subject for me. 

yeah your bias is showing horribly. 

[mappy]

12 minutes ago, hstorm said:

Vehicular manslaughter requires proof of gross negligence by the driver.  That's a tough standard that goes far beyond bad driving (it essentially requires a knowing disregard for a risk to human life).  While we certainly don't know all of the facts, I'm skeptical that gross negligence could be shown in this case.  

it sounds like an accident that ended horribly. bad place, bad time, on 695 in a construction zone. i had to laugh at people thinking someone was racing and thats what caused it. 

so many assumptions based on nothing. 

[mattie g]

19 hours ago, hstorm said:

That stinks and is one reason why I am glad that we have no other pools near us.  Little risk of kids being poached or heading to a different pool.  (On the flip side, we have a significant waitlist, so hard to bring in new kids.)

It's tough around here. There are so many (small-ish) pools close by, but even then I don't really get why folks would uproot and go to another. Oh well...

Our team struggles to even get enough kids to fill lanes and relays, so our struggle about bringing in new kids is the complete opposite of yours! My main beef is with the pool itself, though. It's a wonderful pool (clean, open, plenty of space, and a real community feel tucked right in the middle of the neighborhood), but there's never really been outreach to expose the pool to nearby neighborhoods. Our other issue is that a large subdivision almost right next to ours is in a completely different grade school catchment area, so those families almost all go to that other pool. "Our" catchment area is stretched out, so it's hard to convince folks to come to our pool if there's another around.

Ugh...just writing this makes me less happy about this season than before.

[H2O]

21 minutes ago, mattie g said:

It's tough around here. There are so many (small-ish) pools close by, but even then I don't really get why folks would uproot and go to another. Oh well...

Our team struggles to even get enough kids to fill lanes and relays, so our struggle about bringing in new kids is the complete opposite of yours! My main beef is with the pool itself, though. It's a wonderful pool (clean, open, plenty of space, and a real community feel tucked right in the middle of the neighborhood), but there's never really been outreach to expose the pool to nearby neighborhoods. Our other issue is that a large subdivision almost right next to ours is in a completely different grade school catchment area, so those families almost all go to that other pool. "Our" catchment area is stretched out, so it's hard to convince folks to come to our pool if there's another around.

Ugh...just writing this makes me less happy about this season than before.

I could tell you stories about your first part.  It can be bad because there are a lot of crappy parents out there.  

What I've found in all my years is that the struggle to keep and attract members stems from the too high of expectations new members have of what a pool offers.  We have heard time and time again how people expect a country club type level pool for what they feel they pay for.  They need all the amenities and it needs to be fancy and gorgeous.  Well, there are pools that offer that but expect to pay $1000s to just join and then pay over $800 every year.  Most small pools like mine try to balance out keeping costs low to attract people and doing what we can to make the pool appealing.  The prob is we are an old pool.  And what do people want in a pool?  Is it the pool or you need a great toilet to shit in?  I go to swim, not complain about the parking lot looking rough.  If I have a place to set my cooler with beer I'm not supposed to have and chill with my kids then I'm happy.  

[H2O]

32 minutes ago, mappy said:

it sounds like an accident that ended horribly. bad place, bad time, on 695 in a construction zone. i had to laugh at people thinking someone was racing and thats what caused it. 

so many assumptions based on nothing. 

I def thought it could have been impaired driver or distracted.  I've seen it a ton just from all the years of working along roads.  But as explained, terrible things can happen from accidents and this is just one of those really bad ones.  Once cars lose control then anything can happen.  And its sad 6 people died.  

[nw baltimore wx]

Just now, H2O said:

I def thought it could have been impaired driver or distracted.  I've seen it a ton just from all the years of working along roads.  But as explained, terrible things can happen from accidents and this is just one of those really bad ones.  Once cars lose control then anything can happen.  And its sad 6 people died.  

It's crazy the number of people I see on the roads using their phones while driving.  Not saying that's the case here, but I have to believe investigators will be looking at the phone records of both drivers. 

Personally, besides it being really unsafe to text and drive, I'd hate to have to defend myself if I was involved in an accident while on the phone even if it had nothing to do with the accident.

[mappy]

21 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said:

It's crazy the number of people I see on the roads using their phones while driving.  Not saying that's the case here, but I have to believe investigators will be looking at the phone records of both drivers. 

Personally, besides it being really unsafe to text and drive, I'd hate to have to defend myself if I was involved in an accident while on the phone even if it had nothing to do with the accident.

my kid points them out whenever we are in the car. "theres someone on their phone" "oh she's on her phone too"

then as we go past she just stares at them lol

[mattie g]

2 minutes ago, H2O said:

I could tell you stories about your first part.  It can be bad because there are a lot of crappy parents out there.  

What I've found in all my years is that the struggle to keep and attract members stems from the too high of expectations new members have of what a pool offers.  We have heard time and time again how people expect a country club type level pool for what they feel they pay for.  They need all the amenities and it needs to be fancy and gorgeous.  Well, there are pools that offer that but expect to pay $1000s to just join and then pay over $800 every year.  Most small pools like mine try to balance out keeping costs low to attract people and doing what we can to make the pool appealing.  The prob is we are an old pool.  And what do people want in a pool?  Is it the pool or you need a great toilet to shit in?  I go to swim, not complain about the parking lot looking rough.  If I have a place to set my cooler with beer I'm not supposed to have and chill with my kids then I'm happy.  

I'm not on the pool board, but as the Team Rep I have a lot of inside info as to what goes on.

For our pool, there was a lot of "we do things this way because that's the way it's always been done." The Board turned over almost completely last year, so I give them a little leeway in trying to shift the mindset of how to effectively run the place, but I still feel like there's an unwillingness to make attempts to change.

I hear you about the amenities thing. Our pool is quite nice, but it's not like we have tennis courts or a big picnic area or a playground or whatever. I do think that we could do more to enhance the social aspect of the pool outside of the ad hoc parents having drinks and pizza on a Friday night (which is a lot of fun as it is!). Just need to make it a place that folks want to hang out and feel it's worth their while.

[mdhokie]

1 hour ago, mappy said:

yeah your bias is showing horribly. 

What bias is that? Bias against bad drivers? 

[mdhokie]

2 hours ago, hstorm said:

Vehicular manslaughter requires proof of gross negligence by the driver.  That's a tough standard that goes far beyond bad driving (it essentially requires a knowing disregard for a risk to human life).  While we certainly don't know all of the facts, I'm skeptical that gross negligence could be shown in this case.  

and thats the frustrating part of these "accidents". I no longer ride my bike on the street due to all the distracted, drunk, high, and malicious motor vehicle drivers out there. I am disappointed to give up something I loved to do, but I also love my family and being alive.

[H2O]

30 minutes ago, mattie g said:

I'm not on the pool board, but as the Team Rep I have a lot of inside info as to what goes on.

For our pool, there was a lot of "we do things this way because that's the way it's always been done." The Board turned over almost completely last year, so I give them a little leeway in trying to shift the mindset of how to effectively run the place, but I still feel like there's an unwillingness to make attempts to change.

I hear you about the amenities thing. Our pool is quite nice, but it's not like we have tennis courts or a big picnic area or a playground or whatever. I do think that we could do more to enhance the social aspect of the pool outside of the ad hoc parents having drinks and pizza on a Friday night (which is a lot of fun as it is!). Just need to make it a place that folks want to hang out and feel it's worth their while.

When I joined our pool we didn't even have a website that was easy to find or updated.  We've only recently embraced social media as a mean to advertise and had zero marketing when I was on the board.  Now there is a more concerted effort to get the name out.  And in a lot of ways the success of the swim team was the best advertising we had.  But with that came problems.  Again, people expected our pool to be this awesome place based on moving up to higher divisions.  So the ones only joining for swim team would leave when it didn't meet those expectations.  And we have what i call rental families.  they only join because of the swim team and don't make much effort to be part of the pool community.  Never help on set up/clean up, barely attend social functions, etc.  They only use the pool for swim team.  So its been a struggle to build a solid group who just enjoy the pool for what it is.