The Post For Stuff You Wanna Tell People

[Economizer]

It is my understanding that the U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE is to update their delivery fleet, having ordered thousands of vehicles of a new design. May I suggest that the operation sounds of the new trucks be as like as possible to those of the previous units. To me, and many others receiving the daily mail, the motors of the P.O. vehicles arriving is a bright spot in the day.

[Cheerful]

It is my understanding that the U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE is to update their delivery fleet, having ordered thousands of vehicles of a new design. May I suggest that the operation sounds of the new trucks be as like as possible to those of the previous units. To me, and many others receiving the daily mail, the motors of the P.O. vehicles arriving is a bright spot in the day.

Agree, Economizer.  I think I read, however, that the new trucks will be quieter.  They are also quite odd looking, IMHO.

More importantly, may the USPS return to its prior glory -- with a larger variety of stamps, faster delivery of first class mail, and more.

[Economizer]

Oh, yes. That certainly would be good!

[Parasaurolophus]

The hatchling just gave himself a hickie.

[mamselle]

With a fingernail? (They often do scratch themselves, those little claws are sharp!)

Or...???

M.

[OneMoreYear]

The hatchling just gave himself a hickie.

Aww, the the developmental milestones that are not found in the baby book--baby's first self-hickie (all perfectly normal of course)

[Parasaurolophus]

With a fingernail? (They often do scratch themselves, those little claws are sharp!)

Or...???

M.

Nono, by sucking too hard.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I bought some chicken tikka masala at the farmer's market and it is f*cking amazing. It's sooooo good. Everyone should know this. Eating it has improved my mood considerably.

[apl68]

We have a patron who has been coming by repeatedly lately.  She spotted me walking down the street earlier today trying to go home for lunch and roped me into a conversation.  It soon became apparent that she was experiencing a psychotic episode.  I eventually disentangled myself and got back to work.  She told a member of the staff that she plans to come back here this afternoon.  One of the staff thinks that she may be starting to stalk me.  Hard to tell, as today was only the second time I've spoken with her myself.  She is known locally to have a "history."

[hmaria1609]

Got this news alert about a local pedestrian bridge collapsing:
https://wtop.com/dc/2021/06/6-injured-after-pedestrian-bridge-collapses-in-ne-dc-closes-i-295/
Details are still incoming.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

We have a patron who has been coming by repeatedly lately.  She spotted me walking down the street earlier today trying to go home for lunch and roped me into a conversation.  It soon became apparent that she was experiencing a psychotic episode.  I eventually disentangled myself and got back to work.  She told a member of the staff that she plans to come back here this afternoon.  One of the staff thinks that she may be starting to stalk me.  Hard to tell, as today was only the second time I've spoken with her myself.  She is known locally to have a "history."

Sorry to hear this apl68. Can you have someone be on the look out for her when she stops by?

[apl68]

We have a patron who has been coming by repeatedly lately.  She spotted me walking down the street earlier today trying to go home for lunch and roped me into a conversation.  It soon became apparent that she was experiencing a psychotic episode.  I eventually disentangled myself and got back to work.  She told a member of the staff that she plans to come back here this afternoon.  One of the staff thinks that she may be starting to stalk me.  Hard to tell, as today was only the second time I've spoken with her myself.  She is known locally to have a "history."

Sorry to hear this apl68. Can you have someone be on the look out for her when she stops by?

Yes, we've been on the look out.  I've notified the police that she is in the middle of a serious episode.  And is driving around--I saw her take off in her pickup truck after she talked to me.  In the state she's in, she's a potential hazard to herself.  I strongly suspect that the local police have had to deal with her before.  They'll know that she isn't likely a threat to anybody else, and will know to de-escalate if they encounter her.

[ergative]

I can tell you're finishing up your big grant, because suddenly I'm getting a bunch of review requests that, judging from the abstracts, all came from your research group.

Also, Frontiers, buddy, no one's going to be able to finish a review in 10 days. Who do you think you're kidding? You bet I smashed that 'extension' button, and if I'm not done in 15 days, I'm going to smash it again. What are you going to do, find someone else? Boo hoo.

[ab_grp]

I can tell you're finishing up your big grant, because suddenly I'm getting a bunch of review requests that, judging from the abstracts, all came from your research group.

Also, Frontiers, buddy, no one's going to be able to finish a review in 10 days. Who do you think you're kidding? You bet I smashed that 'extension' button, and if I'm not done in 15 days, I'm going to smash it again. What are you going to do, find someone else? Boo hoo.

Ugh... Frontiers... and the 10 days is (from my recollection) regardless of manuscript length and includes weekends and holidays! I also got a re-review "request" and was told to submit it within 4 days (including a weekend and holiday).  That is especially uncool since you can't plan for when a resubmission comes in.  I don't review for them anymore.  The manuscripts I've been asked to review have not been very good anyway.

[ergative]

I can tell you're finishing up your big grant, because suddenly I'm getting a bunch of review requests that, judging from the abstracts, all came from your research group.

Also, Frontiers, buddy, no one's going to be able to finish a review in 10 days. Who do you think you're kidding? You bet I smashed that 'extension' button, and if I'm not done in 15 days, I'm going to smash it again. What are you going to do, find someone else? Boo hoo.

Ugh... Frontiers... and the 10 days is (from my recollection) regardless of manuscript length and includes weekends and holidays! I also got a re-review "request" and was told to submit it within 4 days (including a weekend and holiday).  That is especially uncool since you can't plan for when a resubmission comes in.  I don't review for them anymore.  The manuscripts I've been asked to review have not been very good anyway.

Yes, I approach them with caution ever since a colleague of mine described reviewing a paper that she thought was unpublishable, which they published anyway, and then put her name on as a reviewer. But they published something of mine last year, so I've used the system and should give back. To be honest, if it had been a blind submission I might not have agreed to review it, but because I know the authors and can be pretty sure they aren't going to submit something I'm ashamed to have my name on as a reviewer, I agreed. Yes, I am part of the problem with the system.