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Might be a bit technical but I'll try and get a 10,000 ft view of a cool project I just finished. I am quite proud of it and had to share. Here's the 10,000 foot view I deployed to our companies network a new machine learning process. Each week there are radio station surveys sent to all the Panelists, people whose listening habits we track, and Radio stations themselves to track their websites and website names. This isn't so difficult to organize, there's only about 48,000 radio stations in the US. The tricky part was for a process required by our oversight company; being FCC regulated means we have to track a lot of things that are just there to see if we track it properly. They wanted the URLs filtered, adjusted for any user misspellings or erroneous characters and then to apply a space between words to allow for easier review. So take here: squarewheelscycling.com/index.php?/forum/3-the-cafe It would need to become square wheels cycling . com / index . php ? / forum / 3 - the - cafe Again for a single website, not too difficult. The real trick was applying logic across such a vast area of words, sub words, abbreviations, station call letters, misspellings, and slang. I built a "word bag" of possible variations/combinations to the tune of 1.8 million rows then wrote a Convolutional neural network (CNN) that checks essentially all possible variations of the wordbag to URL. The entire thing took about 4 months to complete but saves about 100 hours a month in work from two different departments and the oversight company can pull ad-hoc requests through a web portal. Fun for the most part but damn, coming up with the word bag was a mind numbing task.

Thirty years ago when we moved here we had awful phone service. I had never heard of the phone company (Alltel). Our phone was always down, it was long distance to call anyone we knew. The local calls were Meadville, we didn’t know anyone in Meadville. The phone bill was outrageous. One day we saw someone putting up a tower on Alexander’s farm across the hollow. I ask him what the tower was for and he said it’s a Verizon cell phone tower. My wife went to the Verizon store and bought three cell phones and I called Alltel and told them to stuff it. Lived happily ever after.

This used to be on the juke box at the DeLux Burger Bar in College Station. I would often play it when I would stop in for a burger.

The church’s new cafe in under construction. They are going to name it “Esther’s Cafe.

Yes, and even one rotary dial phone.

I'm guessing she lost some of her teeth.

Yes, because there are people and companies I do not want to give my cell number to.

I do, it’s my childhood number. Still have a working rotary candlestick phone to go along with it too. I keep it partly for sentimental reasons, and partly because cell service sucks out here. Half the time I’m talking to someone: “hang on, I’m going to call you right back on the other phone. Can you hear me now? That’s much better.” is part of the conservation.

In Alberta, (was in S-Stars backyard yesterday) helping D1 and her fiance move from one apartment to another. When I got here last night and asked how many friends were lined up to help with the move, they both looked at me like a cow looking at a new gate and eventually said "Just you". Yay.

I'd put the mix on the tater tots and leave out the rolls. Forkable nachos

Absolutely, always will. I also miss pay phones.

This is a South African scene...kinda why I sent the nest to Suzie..they shared the South African connection.

This is one..

Sparks from the chain saw?

I’m buying a roller for the new mower. I need a roller. Lawn chess, long range archery targets, cut the lawn like a Zen rock garden. I’m tired of dull stripes, I need a roller.

I do not have a mine, but I get the shaft all the time.

Here is where I will play cards and drink, or work and drink, or just drink. I may substitute coffee for bourbon at some point.

If I float into the air, this is what I would see.

Them: Just a reminder call to make sure you get your Covid test tomorrow. Me: Ah, OK. But a reminded requires that I had been told in the first place. Them: Well, the doctor's office said they told you... Me: They didn't, but what're the deets? Them: Deets. Me: OK, no worries, prolly go up at lunch. Shouldn't be a problem as I've had the vaccine. Them: Uh, the doctor's office said you told them you had not been vaccinated. Me: Further proof that conversation never took place. Them: OK, never mind about the test, bring your card when you come in.. Me: OK, what's the schedule? Them: Check-in @ noon, procedure @ 2, 4 hour recovery. Someone has to drive you, but they do not have to stay the duration. Me: OK, with a procedure that late, prolly going to have to spend the night (I'd been advised overnight was a possibility)? Them: Up to the doc. Me: 10-4, I'll be bringing my CPAP (which is a minor PITA)

In DC with my niece and her friend from Australia.

We are off

Taking my favorite niece and her friend to DC for the weekend. Dinner in Alexandria tonight.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS!

Teaching was definitely my vocation, and I still have a passion for writing that I’m not sure how to channel into meaningful work. Not yet. I’m waiting for the Spirit (that called me into teaching) to direct my next vocation. It will probably be something I’m equally inept at doing. Seeing how “those who cannot do, teach.” I had a very satisfying and meaningful career not doing ELA education. The next vocation will be fabulous.

Beer, cigarettes and condoms

In retaarment my only goal is to make my motorcycle and sidecar faster kinda like Bert Munro's life mission

Nope. We dropped it several years ago. We asked ourselves who actually called us on the landline. Salespeople and MIL. We moved the landline number to WoW’s cell phone since she really had it used her cell much at the time. Her mom didn’t have to learn a new number. Took a bit of training for her to understand just because she answered didn’t mean we were home. No regrets.

Yup. Also have a rotary phone. Of course we each have cell phones too. Eliminated the land line at camp but could have it reinstated if we wanted. Many people have landlines up here.

Actually, my career in research began 2 years before I finished my BS. I spent a short time teaching and a shorter period in management, but was strictly research from 1988 to 2006. No problem having a strong sense of purpose as a researcher. Fortunately, during those last 18 years, I was well funded working on some very interesting projects.

Trainer session tonight..1/2 mile on the treadmill..went to 3.8 in speed and a 112 heart rate..in 9 minutes...then I had my 1 hour session..he continued to be careful with my shoulder...but takes no prisoners when it comes to my legs or my abs

The only way I could train her is if I take advantage of the saying ‘those who can’t do, teach.’

Eight and a half miles around the hood. Got good report from my cardiologist today. She said ride your bike. Here is a picture of a washout a half mile from my house. Good thing I have a gravel bike.

A decent deal if you don’t have to do what you are hired to do.

Just came from my cardiologist. She said my heart has healed up remarkably well. I must be doing something right. She cut the dosage of my beta blocker in half. Told me to keep riding my bike. Now if I can just get this leukemia under control.

oh yeah and this one

View from balcony I may be drinking on. House on a lake near the beach in Santa Rosa Beach, FL Alternate screeened in drinking spot. Taking a couple of nice bottles for bourbon.

It's da bomb.

When I was 15 years old, I got a job as a dishwasher at a Chinese restaurant. I got paid less than minimum wage because I was under 16, I think they paid me $2.15 an hour or somesuch. I was living at home, of course, and I eventually bought a rusty '73 Camaro with the proceeds.

The fire department knocked part of it down while fighting the fire. They only knocked down 100 of the 160 feet facing the street but offered to pay for 160 feet and I decided to replace the other 60' side out of my own pocket.

I do all my business and medical via the viop because there's no confusion as to which phone is involved and which answering machine has the message. I'm not interested in doing any of this when I'm out and on the cell phone.

Awesome logic.

George is a woman, though.

https://www.payphone-directory.org ^^^^^ All the active AT&T pay phones. Savannah has the most.

yes, I haven't got a cell phone yet. The thought of constantly dragging around a cellphone and remembering all the time, the baby doesn't disappear, is a habit that I'm not thrilled about taking on right now.

Stay off my lawn!

You got to simmer the meat in beer then chop onions some mustard put on low then take a two hour bicycle ride then when you get home they will be ready.Put some pickles and juice and simmer another few hours while you drink some beer.Steam some buns and enjoy.I been using veggie crumbles in place of meat ,just like meat .Krogers has them

My recipe is fry onions and peppers, add a little tomato paste and some of my adobo seasoning, beef broth, BBQ sauce and let that simmer while I brown some ground beef with salt and pepper. Combine the sauce and meat. It’s ok. I made cheeseburgers instead.

Very slowly.