I've always seen Pop-Tarts as more of a kids food thing. I remember seeing adverts for them all the for Pop-Tarts as a little kid but no so much as an adult, so I assume they mostly advertise during programs that kids watch with the expectation that their target demographic (children) will ask their parents for Pop-Tarts.



Anyway, I need to go move some rocks before it gets too hot here to be outside.

Oh man, to think that we all made fun of this guy for having that very same idea:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/what_if_we_create_a_main_hall_topic_so_everyone_can_chat_together_about_anything

And yes - even the OP had something to say there: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/what_if_we_create_a_main_hall_topic_so_everyone_can_chat_together_about_anything/post17

I think Finns are just naturally better at random talk, so people are less inclined to question it!

Anyway I reported all your posts for being off topic. The title clearly said random talk and all the posts so far have been focused clearly on one topic.

If you want to take it one step further, I can whole-heartedly recommend the Non Sequitur Thread, where staying on topic is almost considered a crime. :-)

Yeah but surely a non sequitiur only works if there is an expectation that posts should follow a logical thread.

So a non sequitiur thread is an oxymoron (and boring, sorry)

Who knew threads focused on one topic were more interesting than people spouting off randomly? Oh right, everybody.

I asked a LLM to make me a hard question.
It made an interesting question about human conscience.

Here's the LLM (Large Language Model) question: My answer: What you think?

Ahem... Pardon me.

(I just belched and I'm all alone and had no one to say that to, so thanks for this thread!)

Today I tried to convince a LLM that Kenneth H. Cooper was behind the invention of tethered caps, but it didn't believe me, no matter how hard I tried :'(
Interesting debate. We can only be certain of our own consciousness, and must rely on our senses and our logic reasoning to assume other beings' consciousness. Ground for lots of metaphysical debate.
However, I asked another LLM that question, and here's the reply. Too extensive but not concreting anything, as usual:

"The fundamental nature of human consciousness is a deeply complex and intriguing subject that has fascinated scientists, philosophers, and thinkers for centuries. At its core, consciousness can be described as the state of being aware of and able to think about oneself and the environment. It encompasses a wide range of experiences, from sensory perception to the inner dialogue that runs through our minds.

The question of whether consciousness can be explained purely in physical and biological terms is at the heart of ongoing debates in the fields of neuroscience, philosophy, and cognitive science. Some theories propose that consciousness arises from the brain’s physical processes—neural networks and brain states associated with mental states. This view suggests that consciousness could be an emergent property of complex, interconnected systems within the brain.

However, there are aspects of conscious experience, often referred to as “qualia”—the subjective, individual experiences of things like color, taste, and emotion—that some argue may not be fully explainable by current scientific models. The “hard problem” of consciousness, a term coined by philosopher David Chalmers, highlights the difficulty in explaining how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experiences.

Some scholars have explored the idea of panpsychism, which posits that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of reality, akin to mass or electrical charge, suggesting that it might be a universal feature rather than something that arises solely from brain activity. This view challenges the traditional perspective that consciousness exists only in the brains of highly evolved organisms.

While significant progress has been made in identifying neural correlates of consciousness and understanding the brain’s role in generating conscious experience, there remains a gap in our understanding of how exactly subjective experiences arise from physical processes4. The interplay between consciousness and the physical universe, especially at the quantum level, is also a subject of intense study and speculation.

In summary, while much of consciousness can be studied and explained in physical and biological terms, there are still mysteries and debates about the full nature of conscious experience that continue to elude complete scientific understanding. As research progresses, new theories and explanations may emerge, potentially bridging the gap between the physical brain and the rich tapestry of subjective experience."

Acknowledged, but some bad news: the supermarket didn't have Pop-Tarts. They apparently sell it only online so I have to order it from their webshop.

The shop assistant had absolutely no idea what "Pop-Tarts" are, I had to spell it to her when she checked from their systems if they have such item anywhere. Nope. I educated her that it is a popular sweet snack in the US and Canada, and they even have a movie about it. Boy she must have felt dumb, didn't know what Pop-Tarts are, just like I didn't a few days ago! Ha!

Anyway, where is this world coming to when you can't buy some basic food item from brick&mortar grocery stores, but have to order them online? I could be starved to death before the Pop-Tarts arrive into my mailbox!

I am still going to watch the movie "Unfrosted" though, Pop-Tarts or no Pop-Tarts.

Cheap beer works in surprising combinations, e.g. I was amazed how "suitable" it was with eating chocolate and salty liquorice ("salmiakki") at the same time. Those three kinda balanced each other out.

I even remember when I tried that combination, I was playing LIMBO (it is on GOG too) at the time. I liked the game too.

In the Lord of the Rings movies, at the end, gollum falls into the lava and sinks out of sight so we can see the one ring for a few moments before it is destroyed forever.

But, lava is essentially liquid rock and very dense. Gollum wouldn't sink into it, he would just combust on the surface.

Off-Topic: Blueberry Pop Tarts suck. They taste like the worst kind of sugar paste and they're that bland kind of bitter-sour. And I like blueberries.

If you're gonna eat Pop Tarts, or Pop Tart-like products, get the smores flavor. If you've never had smores before, they're like crack for the soul depending on how you prepare them (but if you want crack in junk food form, be sure to get the white fudge covered Oreos when they come around Christmas time). The Pop Tart ones are a pretty good if flawed facsimile of the real thing.

The cherry Pop Tarts are also good if you absolutely have to have a fruit flavor. Strawberry is a little better than blueberry, but second worst is still bad. I also don't care for the cinnamon ones, but I guess they're alright. The fudge ones are decent if you want chocolate. Oh, and the cookies and cream ones are pretty good too, second to smores.

On-Topic:

1. You ever find a really good song you like and then listen to the album, only for that one song to be the only good one? A real bummer if there ever was one.

2. I have a tabletop campaign going, but work's been killing me. While I have plenty of material to go off of, I still have to write out stat blocks for both characters and enemy classes and then give them equipment. Maps too, but I can just abstract those as vague places to be.

3. Pibb Zero is not bad at all.

Insert "My childhood is ruined." meme here.

Are we absolutely sure it's lava and not simply boiling hot marmalade?

Even if it's a molten rock with somehow low density in liquid state, I really don't think a 10-pound meth-head is going to sink into it. He has all the s(t)inking ability of used toilet paper.