The Bitching Thread [Archive] - Page 18

Dark Dragon

Thu, 11-01-2012, 12:26 PM

Evidently a lot of the dead were killed by falling trees. I wonder how fast a tree falls when it gets pushed over by a gust of wind. I can't imagine it'd fall very fast, what with the roots still holding on.

Falling on houses, cars etc. You also have to take into account high wind, rain and low visibility. This is a hurricane, not some particularly strong gust of wind that just happens to push over random trees. It also doesn't take a giant oak tree to hurt/kill someone, anything that just had been planted within 3-7 years can be uprooted in seconds if the wind is strong enough.

I recommend you go do some research if you're particularly interested in the subject, because you really don't seem to know much about it.

Kraco

Thu, 11-01-2012, 12:57 PM

A tree doesn't need to fall with the roots intact either. They often snap in the middle if the wind is especially strong. So, it can be 10 meters of tree falling from the sky, unhindered by any roots.

Carnage

Thu, 11-01-2012, 01:01 PM

Animeniax is right along the lines that wasnt the end of the world or anything but I dont think the media coverage was overblown for this hurricane specifically, my family has lived in NY for 20+ years and they've never seen anything nearly as bad as this. Definitely the worst storm in a very long time as far as I can tell. Fucking trees are everywhere.

Animeniax

Thu, 11-01-2012, 02:11 PM

Falling on houses, cars etc. You also have to take into account high wind, rain and low visibility. This is a hurricane, not some particularly strong gust of wind that just happens to push over random trees. It also doesn't take a giant oak tree to hurt/kill someone, anything that just had been planted within 3-7 years can be uprooted in seconds if the wind is strong enough.

I recommend you go do some research if you're particularly interested in the subject, because you really don't seem to know much about it.

I don't think there's that much to know about it that would require research. In bad weather, avoid stuff overhead and low-lying areas.

Animeniax is right along the lines that wasnt the end of the world or anything but I dont think the media coverage was overblown for this hurricane specifically, my family has lived in NY for 20+ years and they've never seen anything nearly as bad as this. Definitely the worst storm in a very long time as far as I can tell. Fucking trees are everywhere.

It wasn't that bad as far as media coverage, unless you watched the Weather Channel which had 24/7 coverage of pretty much just that system for 3 days or so. It is being called the worst storm for that area in history, both damage and money wise.

I was reading a news report on how some of the people died in this hurricane, and still marvel at people's lack of survival instinct. One lady had a tree fall on her house so she ran outside to see the damage, where another tree fell on her, killing her. Two guys died when a tree fell and crashed into the room they were in. Was it like a wrecking ball coming at them at 60mph? Weird situations.

Ryllharu

Thu, 11-01-2012, 03:05 PM

First off...fuck you Ani (I'm catching up here).
Discuss, don't attack.
-Buff

--------------

Second, Hurricane Sandy really was that bad. The storm was enormous. It Is One of the largest hurricane on record in the Atlantic. Hurricane force winds 400+ miles from the eye, and that was before it combined with the cold front and became a massive beast that sacked the East Coast and put 20+ foot waves in Lake Michigan 600 miles away from where it was still swirling in New York State. This thing was about as large as the distance between Berlin and Moscow (1800 km)

The bigger problem was thanks to the cold front it merged with, no one had any idea what it would really do. It was strange enough that it was making an extremely rare left turn into the East Coast.

Due to where it hit, it tunneled a ton of water up Long Island Sound and the bays of NYC while simultaneously smashing the New Jersey shoreline.

There is a reason it made both local (http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/10/hurricane_sandy_the_superstorm.html) and international (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20154472) news.

Four days going I still don't have electricity. I'm starting to run low on water, but thankfully I have relatives nearby (which is where I am typing this from). The downside is the evening temperature drops close to freezing for the next four days. I'm one of the fortunate ones.

I bet the folks of Breezy Point NY (burned to ashes by wind-gust fed fires) and the Jersey Shoreline (with a complete change of terrain) would appreciate that some of you think it was a bit overblown.

Death toll is up to 80 in the US, so the total is somewhere around 149. While a lot of people did stupid things that got them killed (not evacuating), you can't blame it all on them. A 13 foot storm surge in NYC is a big deal. The last hurricane that produced that kind of flooding was in 1938 and killed 600-800 people. Better weather forecasting (mostly satellites) and evacuations help a lot.

edit: hopefully I'll be back in a few days.

Animeniax

Thu, 11-01-2012, 04:21 PM

To be fair, the storm was bad enough to have NJ Governor Christie praising President Obama just a week from the election.

@Ryllharu: hahahah you'll never get how endearing it is when you single me out for innocuous statements that you read too much into or ignore the insensitive things others say while criticizing every little nuance of what I post. It really keeps me going. Thanks.

Dark Dragon

Thu, 11-01-2012, 04:42 PM

@Animeniax

To be fair, most of your posts so far have been borderline asinine in tone. That might've been from general ignorance rather than contempt, but still.

It's very easy to make a general statement about how you should avoid dangerous areas without taking many other factors into account. Many houses caught on fire during the storm, so those people have to relocate to another location depending on the damages. There's also rescue workers who have to go into dangerous areas, death tolls also include those.

Lastly, Hurricanes in particular have different effects depending on location. This is suppose to have been the worst storm in 100 years for the east coast. Areas that do not get this kind of severe weather as often, tend to be less prepared when this kind of situation does happen.

Carnage

Thu, 11-01-2012, 06:13 PM

My grandfather passed away in an accident due to the storm, I wont go into specifics of what happened. I don't think Animeniax is trying to be a dick, he has some good points and some not so good points. Obviously there are things people can do to avoid most of the damage from the storm, and going outside is a pretty stupid thing to do. I suppose in defense of some people, here in the North East no storm is ever bad enough to really make the surrounding environment that dangerous even with a few falling trees (like one or two may fall within a radius of 50 yards or so during each major hurricane). But this time its kind of been like an all out warzone, trees really did fall everywhere beyond anyone's expectations, around where I live they're huge its like a forest.

As for crashing through houses on the otherhand, there really is no way to avoid that and the sever winds really did make them force through like canonballs. When I was at the hospital one of the nurses was speaking about her neighbor's who had a 25 year old son sleeping in his bed and a tree fell through the roof right and killed him. There's nothing you can do about that, nobody goes into their basement for these things because historically there's never been any reason to. I agree most hurricanes are way overblown but given the billions in damage and millions without power, I think the coverage this time around has been completely fair.

Animeniax

Fri, 11-02-2012, 01:57 AM

Thanks for noticing it's not an intent to be malicious or insensitive. I just see online forums as a place to chit-chat and bullshit, particularly a forum devoted to anime. I can't imagine that people take everything that's said on such a forum so seriously and to heart to the point they get offended and hateful, yet they do.

As for the coverage and seriousness of the storm, I guess it's because it seems so far away and disconnected so you see all this coverage on it and it gets to feel redundant and overkill, like reporting about anything that doesn't concern you in your daily life. I'll say it's been a pleasant change from election coverage, which seems to be making its way back onto the front page and top story of news websites.

Buffalobiian

Fri, 11-02-2012, 06:13 AM

I haven't been watching the news, so I suppose I was spared whatever redundancy Animeniax was hit with.

Still, storms suck and I can't see anybody having a reasonable chance of avoiding a falling tree unless they were looking right at it.

-------------

edit: yeah.. try to discuss without attacking (it's mild I know... still...)

Animeniax

Fri, 11-02-2012, 11:49 AM

I haven't been watching the news, so I suppose I was spared whatever redundancy Animeniax was hit with.

Still, storms suck and I can't see anybody having a reasonable chance of avoiding a falling tree unless they were looking right at it.

I can only imagine what world news is reported on and emphasized in a smaller country with less of a global presence such as Australia. I'd guess it's like when I lived in Wyoming, there wasn't even a local news channel, we got the news from Salt Lake City, Utah which covered surrounding areas like the city I was in.

I love storms, they feel like a cleansing of the world, they provide water for lawns and plants and relief from high temperatures, and I like feeling sheltered and safe in my home while the storm rages outside. It's a bit different with a hurricane or major storm to be sure, but I've survived those too.

animus

Fri, 11-02-2012, 04:17 PM

Just got back my electricity. I screamed hallelujah I shit you not.

I won't deny I'm reliant on electricity and technology. But the shit around here was a deadzone. No stores open, no traffic lights, etc. Btw, I live in Chinatown, NYC. In all my life living so far, this has been the worse hurricane personally. We even had a blackout during the summer of 2005 that shut off power completely in the Tri-states that didn't take this long to bring back up (we had electricity the next day).

But anyways, I'm just glad this shit is over. All I had to do was to eat, shit, sleep and re-read the last 2 shitty books of Harry Potter. I'm guilty in the fact that I was expecting this hurricane to really be nothing so my family and I didn't prepare much in the way of recreation (I only had a quarter charged Nintendo DS and iPod Touch). But I guess this has instilled fear in me so that the next time a hurricane warning happens, I'll be better prepared.

Uchiha Barles

Fri, 11-02-2012, 04:59 PM

It's amazing...here in the bronx, I can barely tell there was a hurricane at all. My subway and bus routes are doing just fine, never lost electricity. I had a difficult time believing the storm was that bad till I saw some of the pictures from Jersey...yikes.

Ryllharu

Fri, 11-02-2012, 05:37 PM

I can't imagine that people take everything that's said on such a forum so seriously and to heart to the point they get offended and hateful, yet they do.

As for the coverage and seriousness of the storm, I guess it's because it seems so far away and disconnected so you see all this coverage on it and it gets to feel redundant and overkill, like reporting about anything that doesn't concern you in your daily life.That's a problem with written forms of communication. You may be typing it with a big smirk on your face, thinking to yourself how ironic and clever you are being with whatever post. But the inflections and tones that English relies on can't be conveyed properly. Most intelligent people recognize this difference that has been around since people wrote letters to each other, and adjust their writing accordingly. Someone else reads your mocking, "clever" post that was written in half-jest, and reads it in a completely different delivery than you meant.

You're in Texas (the middle of it). The coast gets hit by hurricanes all the time.

I won't deny I'm reliant on electricity and technology.

But anyways, I'm just glad this shit is over. All I had to do was to eat, shit, sleep and re-read the last 2 shitty books of Harry Potter.
...
But I guess this has instilled fear in me so that the next time a hurricane warning happens, I'll be better prepared.
Same, I need electricity.

There is a massive difference between having running water and having none. It's the difference that makes an extended power outage bearable, or unbearable.

A lot of people in cities (even small ones) don't really get this, because they have city water, which means pressure all the time (so long as the water towers/pumping stations get power, and they will have it restored the fastest). When you have well water, having a portable generator really matters. I don't have one. I will be buying one. Once you run out of water in the bathtub, you're done. No more toilets. What was an inconvenience becomes either a really bad camping experience in your own house (if you have woods to use), or you have to leave. There's no other options. You can refill at the local fire station using five-gallon buckets, but that's not going to help after 4 or 5 days (less if you have more family members).

During a power outage, you need 1 gallon (3.75L) of water per day, per person. That includes everything but toilets. Drinking, hand washing, teeth brushing, etc.

Also...baby wipes. Make sure you have some on hand. I learned the technique of the baby wipe shower from a couple of former-military co-workers. It helps morale quite a bit, you don't feel as scummy.

I've got a pretty good extended power outage kit, since we get Nor'easter's too (anti-hurricane, fed by cold air instead of warm-moist air (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nor'easter#Difference_from_tropical_cyclones)), but given the things I haven't had during this, I know now how to make it more robust.

The most critical component is a dynamo-flashlight, and it should be kept on yourself at all times, even before the main part of the storm hits. No batteries needed, ever. Saved my butt and prevented many a stubbed toe, bashed shin, or split lip. Also helps you find the rest of the parts of your kit.

Animeniax

Fri, 11-02-2012, 10:47 PM

That's a problem with written forms of communication...

You're in Texas (the middle of it). The coast gets hit by hurricanes all the time.

Same, I need electricity...

During a power outage, you need 1 gallon (3.75L) of water per day, per person. That includes everything but toilets. Drinking, hand washing, teeth brushing, etc.

Like I said, that's the thing about forums and online communication, it's only as serious as you make it. I don't think too hard or research everything before I post it like I would for a paper I'm turning in for a grade or a communication I send out at work, it's mostly gut reactions and stream of consciousness-style. You can read smirks and wit into what others post, but that says as much about you being a cynic or judgmental as it does about the person who's post you are reading.

Didn't the east coast get hit with a hurricane Irene just last year? People need to be better prepared, these destructive weather systems will probably be the norm for the future.

And I'm from the gulf coast, just living in central Texas now. I've been through hurricanes, but none so bad as the ones the East coast is getting now.

Ryllharu

Sat, 11-03-2012, 04:23 AM

Didn't the east coast get hit with a hurricane Irene just last year? People need to be better prepared, these destructive weather systems will probably be the norm for the future.Yes and no. Irene did a lot of damage (particularly with major flooding in Vermont), but it was the 2011 Halloween nor'easter two months later that really did people in. Whatever Irene damaged but didn't break came down, and dropped at least 12 inches of snow, making it much much harder to restore power.

A lot of dumbasses killed themselves by carbon monoxide poisoning with generators or grills trying to keep warm.

So even when people are "prepared," they're not really ready.

Having camping gear is the best, because it is dual purpose. Running water is everything though.

Animeniax

Sat, 11-03-2012, 04:18 PM

Yes and no. Irene did a lot of damage (particularly with major flooding in Vermont), but it was the 2011 Halloween nor'easter two months later that really did people in. Whatever Irene damaged but didn't break came down, and dropped at least 12 inches of snow, making it much much harder to restore power.

A lot of dumbasses killed themselves by carbon monoxide poisoning with generators or grills trying to keep warm.

So even when people are "prepared," they're not really ready.

Having camping gear is the best, because it is dual purpose. Running water is everything though.

People just don't know and won't take the time to learn. I guess part of that is being a city-dweller where you take basic needs for granted, but part is just ignorance. Again I don't want to sound insensitive, but deaths from these storms seem less tragic when people don't do the basic things to protect themselves, like not using their bbq grills for heat indoors or evacuating when told to. This was my original point earlier, not to be a dick, but to be a realist about the human condition in our country.

Running water is a convenience IMO. I worked overseas in an area without running water and we made do with the flow from bottled water. For me, temperature management is the most important thing... to be able to keep warm when it's cold out and cool when it's hot out.

enkoujin

Mon, 11-12-2012, 05:13 PM

Small bitch.

I'm taking an energy management/regulation course for my degree addon and I find it awful. There are no prerequisites and textbooks for the course despite it feeling like it should because as a person not studying business, I'm totally lost. The powerpoint slides seem like a blur to me because of all the economics/business concepts that I can't seem to grasp without Googling them. The class also takes place once a week from 6:30-9:30 PM and I'm usually dead by this time.

The worst part of it is the group project paper where we have to analyze guidelines for certain industrial processes and make suggestions to make it better. The problem is that I haven't started working in industry yet, I have no idea what the hell I'm writing about or why my opinion should matter because we're studying guidelines in the first place. It's like asking a new chef how a kitchen can be more efficient than it already is with the chef having zero idea how the kitchen works. Furthermore, aspects of the report are difficult to find on the web (e.g., finding a public opinion on well abandonment). I feel like I'm going to let my team down.

I could see everything I'm learning in this class very useful when I start working in industry, but as of now, I have no idea what I'm doing.

tl;dr: I have to write papers and learn difficult business concepts despite majoring in something completely different because it's for my degree.

Ryllharu

Mon, 11-12-2012, 06:24 PM

Animeniax

Mon, 11-12-2012, 08:49 PM

I was thinking the same things, if you feel lost on a subject, talk to your TAs, classmates, and the professor. It might not be a core class that you want to devote so much time to, but if it's messing with your head that much, it could hurt you in other classes. You might be a bit of a loner and less likely to talk to classmates, in which case you still have your group project members to talk to. I'm sure you'll find some of them are equally lost and need help too.

Also when you mentioned the chef/kitchen analogy I thought the same thing as Ryllharu. Sometimes an outsider/novice looking at an established situation can give insight and fresh ideas that the entrenched pros can't/won't see. Considering you are novices, I'd guess the prof will grade your ideas as such, as long as they follow principles you've learned in class.

my bitch: have a headache/slightly drugged feeling after inhaling fumes of burning ATF from the (hopefully now repaired) leaking power steering system in my engine bay. It's residual fluid that collected in the cracks and crevices in the engine when it leaked before, and only now is burning up after a lengthy test drive. I don't think any of it will start a fire, but it had my garage filled with smoke before I aired it out.

Buffalobiian

Mon, 11-12-2012, 09:49 PM

In my second semester I had to write a paper to my medical ethics professor about how medical ethics should be taught to undergrads. Online resources weren't hard to find thought, which is why I avoided the alternative law-appraisal topic.

I can see why he wants a student's view on the issue in addition to teaching staff's, but by the end of research, my friend and I pretty much saw eye to eye with him anyway (or even if we didn't, understood where he's coming from and accepted his methods)

The elevator link was cool.. And here I thought I check myself out in the elevator out of random opportunity instead of by design.

My bitch: been trying to buy shoes that accommodate my feet problems (black leather), but everything's been less than ideal so far. The store has a 30-day period where you can change shoes until they fit and the staff are really nice, but 3-pairs/20-days in and I've still yet to get a perfect fit. Each day without a good fit means another day of foot pain of some description (varies with the shoe).

Xelbair

Tue, 11-13-2012, 05:35 AM

I took a macro-economics class as an elective during the evening (twice a week, 5-7pm) back in my freshmen year of college. Nearly failed the first exam. Needless to say, I had to do something...drastic to turn my life around. If you try hard enough, you'll get caught up. Worst come to worst, you can always go to office hours or whatever and express your concerns to the professor. Don't let it get to you so much.

An overwhelming portion of academia notoriously (once you are in industry) has a gross misconception about industry and the way it works. My boss ranted quite a bit during the pursuit of his advanced degree about the professors and other straight-to-graduate-program students being in fantasy-land. Just use common sense and your contributions to your paper will be fine.

edit:
The benefit of an outsider's perspective can usually be quite welcome. People get set in their ways and pigeonholed. Look for practicality, simplicity, safety, and making it cheaper. Engineers are particularly well-known for over-engineering solutions to problems. The elevator wait times problem (http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1244-defining-the-problem-of-elevator-waiting-times) is the cardinal example of this. Engineering students always come up with crazy solutions that don't work or are insanely expensive.

Being engineering student myself i completely agree with that - but that's what are engineers thought to do - find technical solutions to technical problems.
Also - mirrors aren't the perfect solution - for example at mu Uni's main building there are 3 lifts(one old and two new ones).
Because people are retarded they keep pushing both buttons(in new lifts - older one has only one button) so lift always stops on each floor(unless you are lucky or came to uni when lectures/tuts/labs are in progress).
Also - take note that engineer's solution to the problem('deal with it - it is just a few minutes') was accurate :P

@Buff: buying shoes is the activity i hate the most - i am never able to find ones that look ok, and are comfortable.

Animeniax

Tue, 11-13-2012, 01:15 PM

@Xelbair: yes but telling people to "deal with it" is not a solution. It doesn't address the problem even. Mind games are the solution. Convince people that doodoo is chocolate and they will eat it and ask for more. Now that's a solution.

Xelbair

Tue, 11-13-2012, 04:15 PM

you want technical solution? find an engineer. you can't afford solutions? deal with it.
you want psychological solution? find an psychologist.

here, i simplified that for you.

Animeniax

Tue, 11-13-2012, 04:32 PM

A solution that cannot be afforded is no solution at all.

And look back at enkoujin's post, his class is about finding real world solutions for real world problems, same as the elevator question. If a "solution" is too expensive to implement, then it is not a solution for the problem presented.

Ryllharu

Tue, 11-13-2012, 06:03 PM

you can't afford solutions? deal with it.That's an excellent way to get an engineering consulting firm fired from a job, and less likely to get future jobs due to a ruined reputation. Engineers get hired to find solutions, period. That's the whole reason that story keeps getting retold. The best solution is often the simplest, and the cheapest, requiring no technical engineering at all.

Sorry Xel, I can't agree with you here.

One group tells you that you'll have to tear down the entire face of the building to put in a faster elevator with automatic idle floor positions based on a 3 month analysis period of peak times and overall usage. Cost: Millions?, loss of tenants who require elevator for accessibility, etc. Complete in 6 months to a 1 year.

The other group tells you to install mirrors. Cost: $35 per floor, plus one in the elevator. $325 for labor. Complete in one day.

Who do you think is going to get called again, or referred to similar building owners?

edit:
Another real world example: Alaskan roads frequently cracked in the freeze/thaw, exacerbated by the road surface itself transferring heat to the permafrost. What did they do? Nothing fancy, just elevated the road on top of loose rocks that dissipate the heat to the sides rather than into the permafrost.

These aren't crazy technical solutions here.

fahoumh

Tue, 11-13-2012, 11:30 PM

My Blackberry crapped out on me, or at least I think it did, and since I was already kind of pissed off I broke it into pieces in a fit of rage. Now I have to find a replacement because I'm still on a BB data contract and hopefully restore my contacts, passwords, etc. with Blackberry Protect. The worst part was when I realized what I may have permanently lost after losing my temper.

Animeniax

Wed, 11-14-2012, 12:33 AM

I do that sometimes, destroy the object that is probably not really the source of my anger, as I imagine most people do. I almost threw a game controller at my big screen TV before. I'm glad I didn't have to feel the remorse of that.

Should be easy and cheap to get a Blackberry secondhand considering the number of people leaving the platform.

Buffalobiian

Wed, 11-14-2012, 02:56 AM

I broke a USB stick in a fit of laughter one time.

Soon after, I wasn't laughing any more.

Xelbair

Wed, 11-14-2012, 04:08 AM

That's an excellent way to get an engineering consulting firm fired from a job, and less likely to get future jobs due to a ruined reputation. Engineers get hired to find solutions, period. That's the whole reason that story keeps getting retold. The best solution is often the simplest, and the cheapest, requiring no technical engineering at all.

Sorry Xel, I can't agree with you here.

One group tells you that you'll have to tear down the entire face of the building to put in a faster elevator with automatic idle floor positions based on a 3 month analysis period of peak times and overall usage. Cost: Millions?, loss of tenants who require elevator for accessibility, etc. Complete in 6 months to a 1 year.

The other group tells you to install mirrors. Cost: $35 per floor, plus one in the elevator. $325 for labor. Complete in one day.

Who do you think is going to get called again, or referred to similar building owners?

edit:
Another real world example: Alaskan roads frequently cracked in the freeze/thaw, exacerbated by the road surface itself transferring heat to the permafrost. What did they do? Nothing fancy, just elevated the road on top of loose rocks that dissipate the heat to the sides rather than into the permafrost.

These aren't crazy technical solutions here.

Second case would be proposed pretty quickly - seriously - any geo-engineer would recommend something like that asap.

First case? Engineers proposed all possible technical solutions. installing mirrors to prevent people's boredom is NOT engineering solution - but a psychological one. I'm not saying that engineering ones are better - but you aren't seriously expecting engineers to find psychological solution?

@Ani - i'm refering to the example that Ryll posted without regard to Enkoujin's post.

Animeniax

Wed, 11-14-2012, 04:09 AM

Wow, how many years of inactivity at id Software and they returned with Rage?? Terrible, terrible. The game isn't that bad, but it's also nothing special, and nothing like you'd expect from id after a long hiatus. Glad I only paid $5 for it, but still, couldn't they have made a game at all more compelling or original?

fahoumh

Wed, 11-14-2012, 07:52 AM

I broke a USB stick in a fit of laughter one time.

Soon after, I wasn't laughing any more.

Yeah, it's kind of gratifying to destroy something but it's rarely worth the inevitable regret.

I do that sometimes, destroy the object that is probably not really the source of my anger, as I imagine most people do. I almost threw a game controller at my big screen TV before. I'm glad I didn't have to feel the remorse of that.

Should be easy and cheap to get a Blackberry secondhand considering the number of people leaving the platform.

I've never thrown my controller at the tv because it's incredibly expensive but I have broken game controllers. I have become a lot better than I was when I was in my teens when it comes to losing my temper but there are moments here and there.

I've already been looking at used BBs and I think some people are asking too much. How would you define "cheap"?

Buffalobiian

Wed, 11-14-2012, 08:23 AM

Yeah, it's kind of gratifying to destroy something but it's rarely worth the inevitable regret.7

I was watching something really funny on my laptop (sitting in my lap) and I struck my thigh with my hand as I cracked up laughing. The strike landed next to the laptop and demented the USB stick.

There was nothing gratifying about the actual destruction itself (and that 16GB usb stick costed at least $50 back then)..

But looking back.... it was actually pretty funny (the show, and my near-immediate damper) xD

Animeniax

Wed, 11-14-2012, 01:11 PM

Yeah, it's kind of gratifying to destroy something but it's rarely worth the inevitable regret.

I've never thrown my controller at the tv because it's incredibly expensive but I have broken game controllers. I have become a lot better than I was when I was in my teens when it comes to losing my temper but there are moments here and there. Yeah I've restrained myself from destroying my TV, though I came close. I find I'm worse about it as I get older, as my reflexes slow and what my mind wants to do is betrayed by what my body can keep up with, leading to frustration that leads to stuff getting destroyed. Plus I can afford to replace what I destroy, so that lessens the pain of a moment's indiscretion.

I've already been looking at used BBs and I think some people are asking too much. How would you define "cheap"? Sorry that was a noncommittal statement. I have no idea what a used BB goes for, I just know they're losing their customer base to the iPhone, Android, and Windows phones, so I imagine the used market for their phones has a decent selection. Maybe used BBs aren't cheap exactly, but not full price either.

fahoumh

Wed, 11-14-2012, 10:26 PM

Yeah I've restrained myself from destroying my TV, though I came close. I find I'm worse about it as I get older, as my reflexes slow and what my mind wants to do is betrayed by what my body can keep up with, leading to frustration that leads to stuff getting destroyed. Plus I can afford to replace what I destroy, so that lessens the pain of a moment's indiscretion.
It's the fact of looking for a stop-gap replacement until my contract runs out in the summer that's more troubling than the cost to replace my phone. Thank goodness RIM has Blackberry Protect, which wirelessly backs up all your contacts, messages, notes, etc., and it backed up on Monday. So when I finally get one it will not be as painful to get back up to my original speed.

Sorry that was a noncommittal statement. I have no idea what a used BB goes for, I just know they're losing their customer base to the iPhone, Android, and Windows phones, so I imagine the used market for their phones has a decent selection. Maybe used BBs aren't cheap exactly, but not full price either.
No need to apologize; I was just curious. I guess because I only need something temporary I think $100 is cheap but the 9780 goes for $150+ and the 9900 goes for $250+. If I were planning to stay with BB they would be a decent deals when compared to a non-contract price but I don't know if I'm going to stay on that (arguably) sinking ship.

Animeniax

Thu, 11-15-2012, 12:18 AM

It's the fact of looking for a stop-gap replacement until my contract runs out in the summer that's more troubling than the cost to replace my phone. Thank goodness RIM has Blackberry Protect, which wirelessly backs up all your contacts, messages, notes, etc., and it backed up on Monday. So when I finally get one it will not be as painful to get back up to my original speed.

No need to apologize; I was just curious. I guess because I only need something temporary I think $100 is cheap but the 9780 goes for $150+ and the 9900 goes for $250+. If I were planning to stay with BB they would be a decent deals when compared to a non-contract price but I don't know if I'm going to stay on that (arguably) sinking ship.

I know what you mean, stop gap solutions sometimes feel like such a waste of time and money that I've caved before and stayed with the service after buying a replacement. If you're not partial to BB and physical keys instead of touchscreen keypads, maybe settle for a cheaper model that will get you by until the contract is over? Though that BB Protect program seems like it could be a lifesaver.

Buffalobiian

Thu, 11-15-2012, 01:47 AM

? Though that BB Protect program seems like it could be a lifesaver.

Same as any other regular backup :P

Animeniax

Thu, 11-15-2012, 03:28 AM

Same as any other regular backup :P

For your phone data?

Buffalobiian

Thu, 11-15-2012, 03:31 AM

For your phone data?

Yeah. I can set my Nokia to backup my messages, photos, music, contacts etc as soon as I plug the phone into the computer.

A few clicks would also have me backing up things like phone settings. If I wanted to be really comprehensive I would do a phone backup, but a regular full backup is overkill for me.

Animeniax

Thu, 11-15-2012, 03:42 AM

Yeah. I can set my Nokia to backup my messages, photos, music, contacts etc as soon as I plug the phone into the computer.

A few clicks would also have me backing up things like phone settings. If I wanted to be really comprehensive I would do a phone backup, but a regular full backup is overkill for me.

Yeah but I think BB Protect probably saves it to a server so you don't have to manually back up your phone to a local PC.

fahoumh

Thu, 11-15-2012, 11:18 PM

I know what you mean, stop gap solutions sometimes feel like such a waste of time and money that I've caved before and stayed with the service after buying a replacement. If you're not partial to BB and physical keys instead of touchscreen keypads, maybe settle for a cheaper model that will get you by until the contract is over? Though that BB Protect program seems like it could be a lifesaver.

I could get a 9900 for $0 but I would have to commit for another 3 years and I don't want to because my contract is up in June or July and I want to negotiate a better plan; I'm in a stronger bargaining position if I'm not tied down.

I would say the full physical keyboard and Blackberry Messenger are the 2 things that really keep me attached to BB. If this BB Protect properly restores my contact list and notes it would be a huge lifesaver.

Same as any other regular backup :P

I used to regularly back up my phone on the computer but then I just got lazy. Plus, I was really starting to loathe my phone because of the increasing frequency of problems.

Buffalobiian

Thu, 11-22-2012, 06:02 AM

Went to the optometrist to change eartips on my glasses. 20 minutes later, realised that the tips were glued to my hair.

I was pretty cool with it all really, and got it fixed with little cosmetic damage to myself as well as the glasses, but thought this little entry is more apt in the Bitching thread than say, the Smile thread.

Animeniax

Thu, 11-22-2012, 03:24 PM

I could get a 9900 for $0 but I would have to commit for another 3 years and I don't want to because my contract is up in June or July and I want to negotiate a better plan; I'm in a stronger bargaining position if I'm not tied down.

With the way the phone market is going, RIM might be out of business before 3 years, so you could get out of the contract that way :D.

Went to the optometrist to change eartips on my glasses. 20 minutes later, realised that the tips were glued to my hair.

I suggest switching to contacts. You might get a different outlook on life when you don't have to fumble with glasses all the time.

Buffalobiian

Thu, 11-22-2012, 06:39 PM

do contacts work if u get in a fight? I have this feeling that an eye punch would be devastating.

shinta|hikari

Thu, 11-22-2012, 08:14 PM

Soft contacts won't really affect you much, well except giving you vision correction to avoid that punch in the first place.

Animeniax

Thu, 11-22-2012, 09:51 PM

do contacts work if u get in a fight? I have this feeling that an eye punch would be devastating.

That's exactly the situation I was thinking of. When I used to wear glasses, I was a lot more timid and afraid to get into a fight because I was blind without them, plus I would have gotten into even more trouble with the parents if I broke my glasses (getting into a fight would be bad enough to them). But getting hit in the eye isn't too likely, especially if you can see to avoid the punch like shinta said.

Ryllharu

Fri, 11-23-2012, 06:27 AM

Having worn glasses for over 20 years now, and having been punched in the face while wearing them: It's hurts more when the frame concentrates some of the energy, but it's not that big of a deal. Bruising on the temple (from the frame) and around the eye socket (from the lens edges), maybe a minor cut on the nose (from the posts the nose pads are on). It's like getting a black eye, just concentrated.

I've broken/damaged more pairs of glasses by falling asleep with them on. Or messing around with them, snapping them myself: I'm never buying memory-metal frames again, extremely overpriced and not resistant to twisting or prolonged bending (like falling asleep).

I've also had to tape the lenses back in so I could drive home. An inconvenience at worst.

Contacts come with far greater hazards not related to physical injury. Increased chance of (occasionally rather serious) eye infection due to improper care or leaving them in too long, or having them stuck in there.

shinta|hikari

Fri, 11-23-2012, 07:54 AM

Contact lens issues are generally from misuse and negligence. If you form a habit of taking care of them there will never really be any problems, aside from the expected gradual deterioration due to time and usage.

Animeniax

Fri, 11-23-2012, 01:43 PM

shinta's got it right: if you do the proper things like washing your hands before handling, take out the contacts and soak them in saline solution every night, dispose of them according to schedule, and limit your wear time, contacts are virtually problem free. Unfortunately you're only supposed to wear them 10-12 hours a day unless you get some special contacts with improved breathability, otherwise you can cause problems for your eyes in the long term.

Like most people (probably), I wore glasses for years before switching to contacts. Contacts are definitely better.

fahoumh

Sat, 11-24-2012, 01:12 PM

With the way the phone market is going, RIM might be out of business before 3 years, so you could get out of the contract that way :D..
I doubt any service provider would let any customer use it as a reason to get out, hahaha.

Animeniax

Sat, 11-24-2012, 10:40 PM

I doubt any service provider would let any customer use it as a reason to get out, hahaha.

Yeah they'd probably force you to switch to another carrier but continue the contract. Though it's been a few years since I had a cell plan so I'm not too sure how it works.

My dog got skunked today, right in the face/mouth too. I washed him off twice with an online recipe of hydrogen peroxide/baking soda/dish soap, but he still smells because I can't use the solution too liberally near his eyes and mouth. Funny thing is, once I washed most of the smell out, his fur still smelled like the yellow stuff in steamed crab, which is kind of delicious.

Ryllharu

Tue, 01-01-2013, 10:02 AM

I bought two humidifiers to help alleviate the extremely dry winter air in my house.

Returned one the same day. Damn POS leaked. Twin-tank design, one tank never emptied, other one overfilled the machine and proceeded promptly "humidified" the floor. (edit: Yes, it was level.)

The second bedroom-sized one worked wonderfully the first day. I cleaned it this morning, following the directions to the letter, and now it doesn't work at all. Wonderful. I'll be returning that one tomorrow after work, since the store is closed today.

I'm waiting to see how long the third different model (which replaced the first) lasts. I'm guessing not long.

I just don't get why humidifiers are such pieces of shit. It's basically impossible to find a quality one. I'd spend a lot more on one if the damn things would fucking last more than a week or work at all.

Animeniax

Tue, 01-01-2013, 10:20 AM

Are they made in America? That might be the problem. Electronic devices that hold and distribute liquids are problematic by nature.

Buffalobiian

Tue, 01-01-2013, 11:15 AM

You can always try the Japanese way and boil water in your room. If you go with an induction-stove, you can even minimize your risk of fire (as opposed to using kerosene).

Kraco

Tue, 01-01-2013, 01:00 PM

Considering how commonplace appliances they are, surely there must be good ones around, as long as you avoid the cheap Chinese things. Nobody's going to profit if they are all returned to the stores.

Animeniax

Wed, 01-09-2013, 11:55 AM

Ryllharu

Wed, 01-09-2013, 03:54 PM

Jason Statham has a new movie in theaters soon called Porter. It's about a guy who gets double-crossed by his former criminal associates and gets payback in order to recover the money they took from his cut of the proceeds. The movie stars Mel Gibson and comes out in 1999.First off, it is Parker (in 2013). The character is 1999 was Porter.

And actually...it comes out in 1967 (also much better), stars Lee Marvin, as Walker.

It's all based of The Hunter, where the role was named Parker.

Parker -> Walker -> Porter -> Parker

Isn't this fun?

Death BOO Z

Wed, 01-09-2013, 04:02 PM

I've never heard of any of them.

I don't watch as much movies as I'd like to, which is weird, because I don't do anything all day.

Ryllharu

Wed, 01-09-2013, 04:04 PM

Lee Marvin was, and still sorta is, the fucking man. Everyone should see Point Blank.

(and The Dirty Dozen for that matter)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2sKgsKTeEM

Animeniax

Wed, 01-09-2013, 09:34 PM

I've never heard of any of them.

I don't watch as much movies as I'd like to, which is weird, because I don't do anything all day.

You're not missing much. It's typical Hollywood recycling concepts because there's a dearth of originality and daring in the business. These movies might be good for a boring Sunday afternoon freebie rerun once American football season is over, but not worth a movie ticket at the theater.

Lee Marvin was, and still sorta is, the fucking man. Everyone should see Point Blank.

(and The Dirty Dozen for that matter) Old time American cinema is fucking terrible. I try watching these "classics" and it's just unbearable. So to a point a remake is worthwhile, but Payback isn't so dated that they need to make another clone movie just so Statham can get acting work.

Ryllharu

Thu, 01-10-2013, 04:50 AM

Old time American cinema is fucking terrible. I try watching these "classics" and it's just unbearable. So to a point a remake is worthwhile, but Payback isn't so dated that they need to make another clone movie just so Statham can get acting work.Most movie buffs would say the same thing about Payback, because it was a pretty terrible version.

If you think that Point Blank or The Dirty Dozen are terrible cinema...well, you have just no taste at all. I'd give you Zardoz or something (also directed by the Point Blank guy). But there isn't a whole lot different from today's movies (other than the shit writing in current movies) with Point Blank or The Dirty Dozen.

Furthermore...Parker (2013) won't even be the first time the story was reused since Payback (1999). It's the main plot to GTA3.

And there are two dozen novels with the character. Who knows, they might even be going for a trilogy here.

Animeniax

Thu, 01-10-2013, 09:49 AM

Payback was pretty terrible, which is another reason why a remake is a terrible idea.

Old time movies aren't intrinsically terrible cinema, they just pale when compared to modern movie-making. The acting is stilted, the effects are usually laughable, and the editing is choppy and ruins the flow of the story. TV and movies have come so far in technical aspects, but they have to reuse stories and concepts from older movies because writers/producers lack imagination and daring.

Kagemane_no_Jutsu

Thu, 01-10-2013, 04:15 PM

I think it just comes down to allowing yourself to appreciate the aspects of a film in the context of their own eras. While acting is probably one of the few things you can compare to its modern-day counterparts.... I think a strong argument could be made for directing and editing as well. Sure there have been tons of advancements in the technology that has clearly made these jobs easier, but if you can't recognize good directing and editing from years ago then chances are you can't recognize it in this age either.

I would like to point out that I don't think you're entirely wrong Meniax, that for the most part directing and editing.... hell lets not forget cinematography's vast improvements.... have been made much easier to accomplish well. So nowadays you can go see almost any movie in the cinema and it will possess at least moderately skilled directing and editing. But the point I guess I'm trying to make is that just because its easier these days, doesn't mean films are better. Hell I'd say its the opposite. It takes less skill to produce something of great quality.

So instead of there being a lot of great directors making okay films and occasionally making an outstanding movie.... we have a lot of okay directors making decent films and sometimes not even achieving that. Then there's the few geniuses in both eras of film who produce consistently great cinema and occasionally reach perfection. If you want to try to compare those to each other, good luck with that, but thats not what I'm saying.

Animeniax

Thu, 01-10-2013, 04:50 PM

I think it just comes down to allowing yourself to appreciate the aspects of a film in the context of their own eras. While acting is probably one of the few things you can compare to its modern-day counterparts.... I think a strong argument could be made for directing and editing as well. Sure there have been tons of advancements in the technology that has clearly made these jobs easier, but if you can't recognize good directing and editing from years ago then chances are you can't recognize it in this age either. Well yeah, I wouldn't even be watching the old movies if I didn't think there were something worthwhile in them. Some of the classics are worth a watch regardless, but many more are unwatchable for the reasons I mentioned. Some examples I can recall are Serpico and Bad Lieutenant. I also recently watched some Charlie's Angels episodes from the late 70s and they were terribly acted and edited.

But the point I guess I'm trying to make is that just because its easier these days, doesn't mean films are better. Hell I'd say its the opposite. It takes less skill to produce something of great quality.

So instead of there being a lot of great directors making okay films and occasionally making an outstanding movie.... we have a lot of okay directors making decent films and sometimes not even achieving that. Then there's the few geniuses in both eras of film who produce consistently great cinema and occasionally reach perfection. If you want to try to compare those to each other, good luck with that, but thats not what I'm saying.Hence my original bitch about modern Hollywood movies, films have improved aspects like direction and editing, but they reuse storylines and concepts and aren't much better for it, usually ruining the concepts they are trying to improve upon or update. So while the films aren't better intrinsically, they are still easier to watch than the old time movies because of production values.

Kagemane_no_Jutsu

Thu, 01-10-2013, 05:35 PM

Yeah, back then it took a real singular vision to make something worth being called film. Nowadays everything is "easy to watch" like you said, but it completely lacks in that vision which is what gives it a soul.

For me, I'd rather watch something that I can sense the director's intent in... than something that is technically smoother and easier on the eyes.

Animeniax

Thu, 01-10-2013, 07:38 PM

Definitely "easier to watch" doesn't equate to worth watching. It's like the first Gundam series, which I haven't been able to watch because of the terrible animation style. I'd love to see how the franchise started and its roots, but I can't sit through such shoddy animation in an animated series.

Kagemane_no_Jutsu

Thu, 01-10-2013, 08:09 PM

Ryllharu

Thu, 01-10-2013, 08:43 PM

Watch 12 Angry Men (1957) or M (1931, directed by Fritz Lang), and tell me that editing and cinematography has, on the average, improved in the last 50 years.

It's not the technology, it's the director and cinematographer. Always has been, always will be.

Animeniax

Thu, 01-10-2013, 10:07 PM

The original series is by far the best one and my personal favorite. Have you tried watching the movie versions? I think they might look a little better. They split the series into 3 films in case you didn't know. Bout to go watch them again haven't seen it in years, thanks for reminding me.

You're a schmuck if you can't get past the animation style. If that came out today as the new hip style you'd beat off to it. Just because you know its old you deem it as inferior. Okay prolly not but still.... the plot and characters prevail all things my friend.

Edit: Not on piratebay. Whats a good anime site for that shit?

The original may have the best story and interesting characters, but the animation is awful:
1405

My favorite Gundam series is 0080 and to a lesser degree 0083. War in the Pocket had it all and told a great story without the requisite fluff of later series. They also had the best Zeon mech ever, the Kampfer:
1406

It also has one of the best generic mobile suit fight scenes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfCIuK9dB2U

I haven't seen the movie versions but I'll check them out if I can find them. And no, I don't like the new hip animation style, thanks for the baseless assumptions.

Watch 12 Angry Men (1957) or M (1931, directed by Fritz Lang), and tell me that editing and cinematography has, on the average, improved in the last 50 years.

It's not the technology, it's the director and cinematographer. Always has been, always will be.

No, technology is just one facet of improvement for some movies. Of course, in character and story driven movies like 12 Angry Men, the technological advances don't matter at all. But the biggest difference, and this gets back to Parker/Walker/Porter/etc, is the lack of originality and the recycling of ideas in movies and TV.

Kagemane_no_Jutsu

Fri, 01-11-2013, 12:41 AM

After you watch the 3 Mobile Suit Gundam films I'd recommend the movie Char's Counter Attack. Its supposed to come after Zeta Gundam but I never watched much of it so that doesn't really matter cause I still used to watch the movie all the time in my younger days. Its all in the same universe tho, I forget what its called they have some name for that Gundam universe.

Animeniax

Sat, 01-12-2013, 11:54 AM

Saw Amazon's deal of the day for Pyrex storage containers, so headed over and saw some negative reviews for their product that I've used for years without issue. Turns out folks are upset that Pyrex no longer makes their products with the same glass they used to, switching from borosilicate to soda lime glass. I think I'm equally upset that companies go cheap to increase profit margins as I am upset that people are lamenting "the good old days" when glassware would survive any amount of misuse and lack of care. People are upset that the new glass doesn't stand up to temperature changes, such as when you take it out of the fridge and pop it in the microwave, and are concerned about the possibility of their glassware randomly exploding even with careful use.

I can't say which is more frustrating to me. We're talking about glass here people. The stuff breaks. Take care of how you handle it, instead of blaming it on the manufacturer when you drop your glassware and it doesn't survive.

Buffalobiian

Sat, 01-12-2013, 12:21 PM

Ryllharu

Sat, 01-12-2013, 12:50 PM

People are upset that the new glass doesn't stand up to temperature changes, such as when you take it out of the fridge and pop it in the microwave, and are concerned about the possibility of their glassware randomly exploding even with careful use.I have the "new" stuff. These people are idiots.

I take it out of the fridge and toss it into the microwave all the time.

What you don't do, is take it out of the freezer and toss it into a 500°F oven. Or much worse, the other way around. Don't serve the food out of it after microwaving it and then dunk it into a sink of cold water.

[hot -> suddenly cool] makes all ceramics shatter. Makes a lot of other things break too, like nalgene bottles, etc.

edit: Turns out the "new" glass has been used by Pyrex for 60 years. What changed was the lack of common sense among the general populace, and increased litigation, meaning the company had to increase liability protection with adequate warnings that used to be common sense.

Animeniax

Sat, 01-12-2013, 01:02 PM

I would be pissed about the glass. Heat-resistance in glass was what made it a viable piece of kitchenware alongside ceramics for me. It's like if smartphones suddenly decided that they'd stop developing tougher screens and just say "it's glass, shit breaks".

Like Ryllharu said, there are tolerances with what you can do with glass, as with anything. The amount of abuse you can subject it to shouldn't be unlimited or even from "the good old days", and it still performs well with normal use. And we're talking about food storage products here. A cell phone that goes in your pocket/purse, gets handled leisurely and often used, should require higher tolerances than something you simply store and heat food in.

Kraco

Sat, 01-12-2013, 01:14 PM

Or much worse, the other way around. Don't serve the food out of it after microwaving it and then dunk it into a sink of cold water.

I have regularly put my Pyrex casserole pan into cold water in the sink to cool. Though maybe it made all the difference it had a chance to lose some of the edge in room temperature while I was eating. I certainly thought the whole point of Pyrex as opposed to some random cheap glass was very high resistance to temperature changes.

Animeniax

Sat, 01-12-2013, 01:50 PM

I think it's fair that there are limits to the resistance offered in a $2-3 piece of glassware and that basic safeguards like not subjecting them to drastic temperature changes isn't asking too much from customers.

Ryllharu

Sat, 01-12-2013, 01:52 PM

@Kraco
Per the instructions (on my desk as I typed the previous post and this one), that's totally fine, and what they recommend.

What it warns against is, 'putting cold liquid in hot glassware (usually from oven), putting hot glassware on wet/cold surfaces without a dry potholder or thick towel, or placing hot glassware directly on a countertop or on a metal sink. Allow hot glassware to cool before washing, refrigerating, or freezing.'

The people who are breaking these are taking them out of a hot oven and putting them directly on their fancy (and generally cool to the touch) granite countertops, shattering the dish. Or "rinsing it out" with a quick splash of water so the food doesn't stick to it while they eat dinner.

Buffalobiian

Sat, 01-12-2013, 09:36 PM

Like Ryllharu said, there are tolerances with what you can do with glass, as with anything. The amount of abuse you can subject it to shouldn't be unlimited or even from "the good old days", and it still performs well with normal use. And we're talking about food storage products here. A cell phone that goes in your pocket/purse, gets handled leisurely and often used, should require higher tolerances than something you simply store and heat food in.

I thought you were saying that they're making glass now that'd shatter if you microwaved it from the fridge. I would have been sorely disappointed at that. Further comments seem to say that's fine though, so I'm cool with that.

I expect nothing out of $2-3 wares. I've got a 300ml French Press that I bought for $3. I didn't complain when the store assistant said that it could not stand 100C boiling water unless it was pre-heated. The filter has shitty gaps anyway.

I also have a 1L Bodem press that I bought for something closer to $70. I'd cry if they said it wouldn't stand a bit of hot water.

As for the cold-liquid in hot glassware thing, I haven't been paying much attention to it. I suppose whenever I put cold water into glassware and throw it into the sink, the glass must have cooled down sufficiently already.

Animeniax

Sun, 01-13-2013, 12:32 AM

I thought you were saying that they're making glass now that'd shatter if you microwaved it from the fridge. I would have been sorely disappointed at that. Further comments seem to say that's fine though, so I'm cool with that.

I expect nothing out of $2-3 wares. I've got a 300ml French Press that I bought for $3. I didn't complain when the store assistant said that it could not stand 100C boiling water unless it was pre-heated. The filter has shitty gaps anyway.

I also have a 1L Bodem press that I bought for something closer to $70. I'd cry if they said it wouldn't stand a bit of hot water.

As for the cold-liquid in hot glassware thing, I haven't been paying much attention to it. I suppose whenever I put cold water into glassware and throw it into the sink, the glass must have cooled down sufficiently already.

Nah, it's more drastic temp changes than that. The thing is, I think a lot of reviewer complaints aren't about actual problems experienced with the product, but mainly potential problems based on the new material used in their construction.

I agree I want what I pay for, and almost always pay extra for quality. But I also think you have to take care of equipment or it will fail, no matter how well made.

IFHTT

Fri, 01-18-2013, 09:04 PM

Animeniax

Fri, 01-18-2013, 09:22 PM

I downloaded a shitty movie title parody porn (Pulp Friction) last weekend via a torrent and received a copyright infringement notice tonight.

What's worse is that the only parody was the name and the porn had absolutely nothing to do with the title they ripped off... I didn't even get to enjoy the forbidden fruit of my labor. :(

Was it a cease and desist order or something more serious? Was it a public or private tracker? Do you plan to stop dl'ing torrents because of this? And lastly, if you care to divulge it, who is your ISP?

IFHTT

Fri, 01-18-2013, 09:28 PM

Yeah, just a C&D. Public Tracker. I don't use them much as it is, but unlikely. Cablelynx (http://cablelynx.com).

Buffalobiian

Fri, 01-18-2013, 09:43 PM

So where you actually after the porn, or the movie? xD

I heard some weird noises late last night. When I checked up on it, I found my printer going spastic. Machinery was moving around inside, but no pages were coming out. The machine was off to begin with, but when I pressed the ON button, it reports "Busy, try again later".

A little research showed that the printer, if left plugged in, will clean its heads periodically.. generally at around 3am in the morning.

I never got the whole 3am thing (that's when microsoft products are set to updates themselves as well if you leave it to default settings). Sure, it makes sense for office machines, but what about everybody else? :S

Anyway, now I have to choose between leaving the printer plugged in (late-night cleaning sometimes, not sure of the frequency), or to leave the printer unplugged until I use it. With the latter, it means whenever I plug it in, it will automatically do a 1 minute head-clean by default, making me wait and using my ink unproductively.

In the end, I think I'll choose the latter since I print fairly infrequently (and screw late-night mechanical noise).

IFHTT

Fri, 01-18-2013, 10:00 PM

So where you actually after the porn, or the movie? xD.

I was hoping for an intentionally, hilariously bad parody of the original movie/characters with the porn being icing on the cake. Instead, it was 99% depressingly bad porn and 1% confusing irrelevant plot.

It was pretty funny when talking with the ISP rep; she instructed me to delete the movie, and I told her I already did shortly after I downloaded it because it was terrible.

Edit: Apparently, upon further investigation, I downloaded the wrong damn movie altogether...

Anyway, definitely leave it unplugged until needed.

Animeniax

Thu, 01-24-2013, 02:46 AM

Last episodes of X-Play and Attack of the Show aired today. I wasn't that into them, but they were fun to watch on occasion. With their demise, I will no longer have any reason to watch G4.

Xrlderek

Mon, 01-28-2013, 10:36 AM

9th in a poker tourney for 25k$ when first place was 500k$.. Chipstack was worth 200k$ when I came into the final table. I want to puke. To make it worse they made a deal when it got down to 7 players where the player worst off got 150k$. So damn close. Decided to get high rather than drunk because drunk always makes me drunkpost or really depressed, think that was a great decision. Biggest adrenaline rush in forever though..

Other than that I am using adderal/ritalin/vyvanse more and more frequently and am scared it will be hard to stop. So much stress around family and everything else lately and this is the only thing making my anxiety go away and actually lets me do productive stuff, even simple stuff like going to the store and making food. I really need to start exercising every day.. I used to just use 1-2 times a week, now I'm using nearly every day.

Buffalobiian

Wed, 01-30-2013, 07:27 AM

Xrlderek

Sat, 02-02-2013, 03:12 PM

Tried talking to anyone, particularly social support?

Perhaps they know of some ways to deal with it that you wouldn't otherwise think of.

I have tried a few therapy hours before but that was when I didn't use nearly as often and I didn't find the hours much use, it's all the same, just telling you you're a good person no matter what etc etc. Probably should try again but be more open about the adhd drugs actually being a problem(didn't think it was before).. anyway I probably wouldn't have posted the above before if I wasn't high, feels embarrasing when I look back at it, to complain on a forum I so rarely post on.

Abdula

Sat, 02-02-2013, 08:13 PM

anyway I probably wouldn't have posted the above before if I wasn't high, feels embarrasing when I look back at it, to complain on a forum I so rarely post on.

No better place for it

Death BOO Z

Sun, 02-03-2013, 11:56 AM

having things recorded on the forum will also allow you to look back and gain perceptive about yourself. I encourage it.

Animeniax

Sun, 02-03-2013, 12:55 PM

having things recorded on the forum will also allow you to look back and gain perceptive about yourself. I encourage it.

I second this. I've gone back and read some posts and been alternatively shocked and amazed at some of the stuff I've posted. I'm a pretty clever guy.

Abdula

Mon, 02-04-2013, 01:06 AM

No comment Ani. To DBZ's point that is one of my favorite things about this forum. I spend the majority of my time here just rereading old posts, it is a great thing to be able to look back at myself and more importantly the way people perceive me.

fahoumh

Mon, 02-04-2013, 07:50 PM

I've looked at posts on other forums from 12 years ago and I notice a huge difference between how I wrote then vs. how I write now.

Buffalobiian

Mon, 02-04-2013, 10:05 PM

I think my writing quality peaked at around 2009.. then I've declined in general. Not sure if it has anything to do with the lack of reading literature.

Animeniax

Tue, 02-05-2013, 03:29 AM

I think my writing quality peaked at around 2009.. then I've declined in general. Not sure if it has anything to do with the lack of reading literature.

I read a lot of modern classic novels and there seems to be a lack of concern for proper use of grammar and sentence structure. Take Cormac McCarthy's works, or Kurt Vonnegut's. McCarthy writes in short, clipped sentences, interspersing run-on sentences with long-winded paragraph-length sentences. I don't think it's helped my writing much at all. Being a liberal arts major during the past 3 years has definitely helped.

enkoujin

Wed, 02-06-2013, 12:56 AM

I think my writing quality peaked at around 2009.. then I've declined in general. Not sure if it has anything to do with the lack of reading literature.

I feel the same right now about my own writing.

I have a hard time deciding when to use commas, when to use commas versus periods, and awkward logic ever since I've increased my exposure to other people's writing. Now, I'm not too sure what's really right nowadays...

e.g., When will you come my house, Tom?

OR

When will you come to my house Tom?

e.g., Jason, please eat dinner with us.

OR

Jason please eat dinner with us.

e.g., Similarly, do we need a comma after the first word transition?

OR

Similarly do we need a comma after the first word transition?

The list goes on and on; I think I'll just end up sticking to short and simple sentences in the future - especially since it'll be technical writing anyway.

Buffalobiian

Wed, 02-06-2013, 02:29 AM

When will you come to my house Tom? Jason, please eat dinner with us. Similarly, do we need a comma after the first word transition?

I would have identified those as the correct versions.

Kraco

Wed, 02-06-2013, 03:27 AM

No matter the language (I bet), the name needs to be separated with a comma in the first two examples. The rule is about directly addressing someone.

"When will you come to my house Tom" <- In this example there's an entity called "house Tom". Is it a live music club or something?

It's more clear if you have the name in the middle of the sentence:

"When will you, Tomson, eat dinner with us?"

However, in Finnish there doesn't exist a thing called "first word transition", as far as I'm aware of, so such a thing would pose additional trouble for me (though some other comma rules might lead to the same effect, but that's a different story). There are also numerous other examples of the English and Finnish comma rules being totally different. When those two mix in my head, the end results is that I can't anymore use commas correctly in either language...

Buffalobiian

Wed, 02-06-2013, 03:30 AM

Hmm, now that you pick that up.. I would actually be inclined to use the comma in that Tom sentence as well. I was concentrating on "come vs come to" and picked the latter automatically.

Xelbair

Wed, 02-06-2013, 09:06 AM

In Finnish are the 'I' 'You' etc part of the verb or is it like in English?

I'm messing up English grammar because i mix it with Polish sometimes(and vice versa).

Kraco

Wed, 02-06-2013, 09:47 AM

In Finnish are the 'I' 'You' etc part of the verb or is it like in English?

If we are talking about the subject of the sentence, they can be separate words, like in English, or in many cases they can be dropped out entirely because the verb contains the information in any case. Usually it's voluntary if you leave it there or not. Especially in spoken language it's usually left there.

Animeniax

Fri, 02-22-2013, 03:08 AM

I know some pay-for-DLC is already out there, but I hope this isn't the future of games: Dead Space 3 is selling suit/weapon kits for cash money. The game already costs $60, now they want you to buy stuff for use in the game.

Ryllharu

Fri, 02-22-2013, 05:32 PM

This is really old news.

You're paying for kits rather than grinding out crafting materials. It's single player items, and nothing you can't get by playing the game.

It's no different from cheat codes of the older generation, any Korean browser MMO game, or games like Farmville. This might come as a shock to you...but this isn't even new for EA. It's no different from Mass Effect 3 multiplayer. You could buy packs instead of unlocking with in-game currency, except this only affects single player and co-op.

Pay for convenience. Absolutely nothing to get outraged over.

Edit:
And if you're not talking about the micro-transaction kits...then it is just regular the DLC developed after the game went Gold (out for QA, certification, and printing). Which isn't anything new either.

Animeniax

Sat, 02-23-2013, 01:06 AM

I play plenty of games, but beyond ME3 and D3 auction house I haven't seen this level of pay for in-game eq. It seems like more than half the items in the game can only be acquired via cash or by sacrificing all other upgrades to save up for with in-game collectible items. It's sad to see the game world head in this direction. I'd prefer they left out MP and co-op play and charged for those, than to be required to pay for items that should be acquirable in-game.

Ryllharu

Sat, 02-23-2013, 07:54 AM

I can't even remember all the Korean games I know that do this. Every single one I have ever played. Gunbound, Maple Story, some shitty dance rhythm browser game, Silkroad Online, Granado Espada, on and on and on.

If you want to talk "AAA" titles, there are dozens and dozens that do this. Just two examples, because I really don't want to waste too much time on this:

Saint's Row 3
DLC includes:
Unlockable Pack - Unlocks items, upgrades and bonuses that weren't chosen during normal gameplay.
Invincible Pack - This is literally DLC pack of cheat codes. Guns do more damage, never have to reload, etc.

Battlefield 3
DLC Includes:
Support Kit Shortcut - Unlocks all upgrades for the Support Class
(Three other specific class ones)
Vehicle Shortcut Bundle - Unlocks all upgrades for all vehicles
The Ultimate Shortcut Bundle - Unlocks all upgrade for all classes and vehicles

Place your faux outrage elsewhere. Even if you "play a lot of games," you don't know a whole lot about the industry trends as a whole.

Edort4

Sat, 02-23-2013, 07:56 AM

This new game industry is here to stay. In my opinion is sad that this is the only way they have found to get profits but we have to get used to it. Anyway there are still plenty of companies and games that dont use this "extraction" system but they arent what we could call the mainstream in game industry. Big companies will keep this model of busineess unless users start to give their backs to them, but I dont see that happening anywhere soon. Thank god we never had to buy a DLC to get the rocket launcher in Doom 2.

We have lived the golden age of game industry now we are getting into the dark age.

Buffalobiian

Sat, 02-23-2013, 08:03 AM

Battlefield 3
DLC Includes:
Support Kit Shortcut - Unlocks all upgrades for the Support Class
(Three other specific class ones)
Vehicle Shortcut Bundle - Unlocks all upgrades for all vehicles
The Ultimate Shortcut Bundle - Unlocks all upgrade for all classes and vehicles

I was pretty annoyed when I saw that upgrade pack. It put me into the dilema of whether I should waste money to unlock those, or whether I should chew up my time to unlock those.

Ryllharu

Sat, 02-23-2013, 08:06 AM

If you want to talk "AAA" titles, there are dozens and dozens that do this. Just two examples, because I really don't want to waste too much time on this:
I'll make it even better by including a much older AAA title to prove how not-new of a trend this is.

Tales of Vesperia (2008)
DLC includes:

Battle Support Item Pack - (Magic Lens, Life Bottle, Cure Bottle, Syrup Bottle, Nectar Bottle, Limit Bottle) x 10 (All-Divide, Hourglass) x 3 *Can also be obtained in the game. *This can only be purchased once.

300,000 Gald - Obtain 300,000 Gald. *This can only be purchased once.

Synthesis Kit: Lv. 3 - Whole ton of crafting items that can be obtained in game. *This can only be purchased once.

Pack o' Useful Stuff - A set of items that can come in handy during your journey. (Special Flag, Moon Selector, Winged Boots, Kitchen Knife, Salvage Crane, Collector's Book) *Can also be obtained in the game.

etc.

Death BOO Z

Sat, 02-23-2013, 09:55 AM

if you need to include DLC content in your game, then the product you're selling isn't as good as it can be. especially in single player game. the company should change the game to make it more fun to play and less frustrating, not put a patch on the bad gameplay and charge money for.

if gamers don't like to farm for random drops in single player, the solution is to make the drop rate more reasonable.
if the companies want to offer a 'more fun, casual and less restirctive form of play' by giving the player all upgrades, they should call it easy mode and include it from the get-go.

I guess it's just a different business plan; I think of the game as a single product that should entertain me (like a book), they think of it as a downpayment that they can build on and use as a channel to get more of my money.

Animeniax

Sat, 02-23-2013, 12:55 PM

Place your faux outrage elsewhere. Even if you "play a lot of games," you don't know a whole lot about the industry trends as a whole.

I love how you say shit like this, yet my post has generated a bit of discussion with similar views to mine.

This new game industry is here to stay. In my opinion is sad that this is the only way they have found to get profits but we have to get used to it. Anyway there are still plenty of companies and games that dont use this "extraction" system but they arent what we could call the mainstream in game industry. Big companies will keep this model of busineess unless users start to give their backs to them, but I dont see that happening anywhere soon. Thank god we never had to buy a DLC to get the rocket launcher in Doom 2.

We have lived the golden age of game industry now we are getting into the dark age.

Yeah I agree it's sad they haven't found a better way to improve the gaming experience while also increasing their profits. They already raised prices so PC games cost $60 instead of $50 at launch. And with the emphasis on MP, SP campaigns have suffered, so paying full price for a game that you get 8-10 hours of play time just doesn't seem worth it. The developers don't get that not all gamers are into community and online play. Love the comment about the rocket launcher in Doom 2.

if you need to include DLC content in your game, then the product you're selling isn't as good as it can be. This is the truth.

if gamers don't like to farm for random drops in single player, the solution is to make the drop rate more reasonable.
if the companies want to offer a 'more fun, casual and less restirctive form of play' by giving the player all upgrades, they should call it easy mode and include it from the get-go.Alternatively if players are ok with farming, the eq should be available for them to farm in-game, not have to pay for.

I guess it's just a different business plan; I think of the game as a single product that should entertain me (like a book), they think of it as a downpayment that they can build on and use as a channel to get more of my money. Companies used to build on the game with story expansion packs and sequels, not charge you for eq that should be farmable in the game. I'm also not happy with the preorder bonuses, something we've discussed before.

Ryllharu

Sat, 02-23-2013, 01:35 PM

Good god...

"The Corporations, they're the true enemy, man."
Just because a few people agree with you, doesn't make any of you right.

1) Entitled Gamer Complaint: Games were $50 when I was growing up, now they're $60! They just trying to screw the consumer over!

Intelligent Response #1: When I was growing up, games were up to $75. This was 1993 (video of a catalog) (http://youtu.be/_ODg0h-aLSc).
Take Mortal Kombat for genesis. $62.99. Adjust that for inflation to 2013: $100.38.
Take WWF Royal Rumble. $74.99 Adjust for inflation to 2013: $119.51
Take an average game from that catalog. $49.99. Adjust for inflation: $79.67.

Current generation games started in 2005, they were released for $60, much to the dismay of gamers everywhere. $60 in 2005 adjusted for inflation to 2013: $74.27

Games are cheaper than they have ever been.

FACT.

Yet their production budgets are higher than ever.
Is it really any wonder that they might want to make up for this massive differential in stabilized prices combined with increase in production costs?

Want to bitch about something legitimate? The prices of games NOT in the US.
The Australian Dollar is roughly equivalent to the US dollar these days. Yet they're charged $80-90 AUD on average for games. The Euro is worth more than the US Dollar. They're charged 60 Euro for a game. This isn't even physical copies. This is digital distribution like Steam.

2) Entitled Gamer Complaint: Everything that is DLC should be on the disc! It's bullshit that they have Day 1 DLC!

Intelligent Response #2:
Game development teams are massive these days. This goes along with the increased development costs of "AAA" titles. There are writers, concept artists, graphics artists, programmers (and a huge array of those), quality assurance teams, etc. Once the game has to be released for certification, publishing and release (commonly referred to as "going Gold"). The certification process takes a long time. Months even.

The writers, concept artists, graphic artists and a subset of the programmers don't have a whole lot to do unless the studio is immediately moving to their next title, which they won't while the game is still being readied for release. They can shift around people if they have multiple teams, but that only works for the larger studios.
So you know what they're going to work on? DLC content. Shorter turn around, shorter certification period, easy to accomplish. So yes, some of it gets released on the same day the game does.

You know what happened to this kind of content in the days of yesteryear? It never got made at all. If you were lucky and the game was successful, it got included in an expansion pack. Which cost money. Which also had to go through its own certification period.

Animeniax

Sat, 02-23-2013, 01:59 PM

I also like how you dismiss my complaint as frivolous, then proceed to write a dissertation about it.

In the end, squeezing gamers for DLC will hurt the companies. If I have to spend more to get the full experience from a single game, that's fewer games I'll play overall (that I pay full price for). They're going to bleed each other dry, as the bigger developers draw all the money away from smaller independents. What I've been doing is waiting a few months for prices to drop before buying. But sooner or later I'll return to the free dl option, if not for the full game, then at least for the DLC.

Ryllharu

Sat, 02-23-2013, 02:05 PM

Oh no, separate issues.

Your argument that "a new trend" is making DLC that sells stuff available in-game is still frivolous. Pay for convenience isn't new.

Then you two decided to go on the separate track that game devs are trying to rip people off with higher prices and DLC that should be included on the disc. Both assertions are fundamentally false. Games are cheaper than ever, and in previous generations, this DLC (occasionally free) would never have been made.

Animeniax

Sat, 02-23-2013, 02:15 PM

Dude what have I said about reading too much into my posts? I get off a 2 hour run on DS3 (it's a horror action shooter, gets the heart rate going), then post a half-cocked rant on an internet forum at 2AM. Don't take it so seriously.

Ryllharu

Sat, 02-23-2013, 02:17 PM

Nice posturing and backpedaling, "dude."

I'd almost believe it if you hadn't made other posts on the same subject.

Animeniax

Sat, 02-23-2013, 02:23 PM

That'll teach me to forgive your neurotic need to research and argue meaningless factoids to show your supposed awareness. Just imagine if you put that energy into something worthwhile like curing cancer.

I could care less about "trends" in the gaming industry. I'm currently playing a video game that happens to require additional cash pay to get the full experience and I call bullshit on that.

Kraco

Sat, 02-23-2013, 02:25 PM

Aren't there so many DLCs nowadays simply because the technology now makes it exceedingly easy to release content in that form and make a solid business out of it? Naturally that wasn't the case 10 years ago, so it's useless to compare the situations. Even if individual people working as game makers, who are themselves oft gamers as well, want to make good games they are proud of, it's still the business that brings bread and rice to their dinner table, at the end of the day. You make money any way you can to keep your boat floating.

Animeniax

Sat, 02-23-2013, 02:34 PM

Yes but pissing off customers by reducing what comes in the game and making them pay for it as extras isn't good for business either. As people become more tech-savvy and find ways to circumvent paying for content, this sort of business model will encourage piracy.

Ryllharu

Sat, 02-23-2013, 02:47 PM

They're not reducing anything.

Maybe you forgot the primary reason why games used to be "Nintendo hard." You can beat a lot of them, without cheats, in less than two hours.

That's even true of the PS era (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2G0n7nmxZw). Just search for speed runs on youtube. A lot of them aren't even tool-assisted (run at slow frames to make easier).

Animeniax

Sat, 02-23-2013, 03:28 PM

Games had come a long way since the Nintendo and PS1 to what was a pretty awesome period in gaming. Like Edort4 said, we were in a golden age, and now we're heading into a dark age for gaming. The graphics may be prettier, but the soul is being lost.

David75

Sat, 02-23-2013, 03:30 PM

Then there are some freemium on tablets/smartphones with riduculous prices for some items (isn't one of the cars in CSR like US$100?)

fahoumh

Sun, 02-24-2013, 04:22 PM

As far as DLC, I usually just wait for "Game of the Year" editions of games like Batman and Borderlands. I honestly don't care if a game's 2 years old when I play it.

Animeniax

Sun, 02-24-2013, 06:51 PM

As far as DLC, I usually just wait for "Game of the Year" editions of games like Batman and Borderlands. I honestly don't care if a game's 2 years old when I play it.

It's been thay way for me for a while where I'll wait for a game to go down in price before buying it, sometimes as special editions. But some games I will buy at release for full price. When I was working with college students, it sucked to be out of the loop on the latest game they were all playing and talking about.

DS3 has gotten better about items towards the middle of the game. There are actually better supply drops you can use to both survive and build the higher priced items, instead of buying them for cash as DLC. Earlier in the game these items were so scarce it didn't seem possible.

edit: I'll say this for DS3, it might be worth it to pay the extra cash for the upgrades. They aren't really necessary to succeed in the game, but it's a long game so it might be worth the upgrades and customizations. I'm 50% complete and spent 14 hours on the game at hard difficulty. And that's missing about 5-10% of the optional missions.

Dark Dragon

Wed, 02-27-2013, 03:03 AM

My stance on this:

If not having the DLC does not in anyway hinder your game experience, who cares? I thought Deadspace 3 is easily the worst of the 3 games, but the DLC had nothing to do with it. Think of it as all of the extra feature on a car, no one is forcing you to buy them. DLC exist for people who must have certain things in games and are happy to pay for it, if you're not one of those people then just don't pay anything.

The only time this really bother me is with a system like Diablo 3. It was very obvious that the game is made with the Auction House as the main feature and many of the design choices reflect this. It was at the point where Blizzard release a patch to nerf the drop rate, because people were not already spending enough time farming for loot.

Animeniax

Wed, 02-27-2013, 03:15 AM

Well I've relented on the subject, it's not such a big deal after all, but for the $60 you pay you kind of hate to have to pay more for stuff in the game. It doesn't hinder the game experience exactly, but it does detract from it seeing all of those unattainable items in your eq and customization lists, but way out of farmable price range.

UChessmaster

Wed, 02-27-2013, 07:40 AM

DLC: DOWNLOADABLE content, just saying.

Animeniax

Wed, 02-27-2013, 01:14 PM

It's not such a simple matter to dismiss the issue by saying it's DLC. What's next, will they charge for patches and updates?

If not charge for them, then what if you don't have an internet connection, will they mail you the patches or do you get a partial refund because some feature in the game doesn't work right?

Kraco

Wed, 02-27-2013, 02:19 PM

Trying Type-Moon's latest VN's demo, Mahou Tsukai no Yoru, I quickly noticed a strange, stupid, whining noise from my computer every time the game needed to do something more graphically intensive (yeah, it actually boasts quite impressive graphics for a VN). I removed a side panel and tried to locate where the noise is coming from. However, it was very difficult, to say the least. Nekomimi might have made a difference, but unfortunately my head doesn't sport a pair. Eventually I gave up and removed the video card, switching the monitor cable to the mobo's DVI port. Funnily enough Intel HD Graphics 4000 could barely run the game and not all too smoothly (that's some VN!), but the noise wasn't there.

From this I dare to guess the noise is coming either from the video card or the PSU. I suppose the next, and highly annoying, test has to be to relocate the PSU as far from the case as the cables allow, so that I can put my head between the PSU and the video card. That ought to tell, even with inferior human ears, from which direction the noise comes.

Just for clarity: I don't hear any such noise when launching some "real" game. It seems to be related somehow to the VN's very sporadic nature of needing more muscles. Most of the time, after all, just displaying text on a static background requires little power. It's only when something animated happens that the computer whistles.

Ryllharu

Wed, 02-27-2013, 04:58 PM

UChessmaster

Wed, 02-27-2013, 06:57 PM

Buffalobiian

Wed, 02-27-2013, 07:26 PM

From this I dare to guess the noise is coming either from the video card or the PSU. I suppose the next, and highly annoying, test has to be to relocate the PSU as far from the case as the cables allow, so that I can put my head between the PSU and the video card. That ought to tell, even with inferior human ears, from which direction the noise comes.

The first thing I would have done after being unable to identify the source of noise with my ears only, is to individually stop every spinning fan in the computer in turn. Assuming you've got the common cooling design for your video card, it's as easy as putting your finger on the middle spinning "axle" part. Don't hold them for say, more than 10 seconds, mind you :p.

That said, how is that game?

The rising water table's impact on my basement. Something was blocking my sump pump.

I've always wanted a basement.. but now, no thanks.

Animeniax

Thu, 02-28-2013, 12:26 AM

For the record, i was agreeing with you, *gets hit by lightning*.

Sorry couldn't tell, though now that I'm re-reading it, it sounds like you're saying "pirate that shit."

I got home after another less than satisfactory day at work. You want to know the last thing I wanted to do? Deal with any effects of a rising water table in my basement.

Guess what I came home to find that I had to deal with:
The rising water table's impact on my basement. Something was blocking my sump pump.
As a homeowner, I feel your pain... coming home from work to some problem or other is always a bitch when you just want to relax. But still better than living in an apartment. And since I don't like you...

1465

edit: sigh, crappy office network. Mods, please combine.

enkoujin

Thu, 02-28-2013, 12:30 AM

I got home after another less than satisfactory day at work. You want to know the last thing I wanted to do? Deal with any effects of a rising water table in my basement.

Guess what I came home to find that I had to deal with:
The rising water table's impact on my basement. Something was blocking my sump pump.

Delightful.

Thankfully, the sump pump is the most efficient way of getting rid of most of the water in my basement. Not so great...is the fact the basement was never designed for it, and not all of the water naturally flows into it. The previous owners installed it...but didn't really put deep enough, and since it was an afterthought, they never put it in the right spot, or re-graded the floor down there (the latter I don't really expect someone to do).

Shit, bro, what did the experts (plumbers, utility technicians, structural inspectors, insurance company, etc.) say?

If it's everything's still damp, I'd turn up the heating and put in place fans and dehumidifiers to get rid of that moisture in addition with that pump... mold will probably be a huge problem in the near future. G'luck dude.

Animeniax

Thu, 02-28-2013, 12:46 AM

Kraco

Thu, 02-28-2013, 03:58 AM

The first thing I would have done after being unable to identify the source of noise with my ears only, is to individually stop every spinning fan in the computer in turn. Assuming you've got the common cooling design for your video card, it's as easy as putting your finger on the middle spinning "axle" part. Don't hold them for say, more than 10 seconds, mind you :p.

Hmm... Maybe I will do that, after all. It's just that the noise is very much unlike any noise I've heard from deteriorating fans. But you never know, I suppose.

That said, how is that game?

It feels quite a bit more mystery oriented than FSN or Tsukihime. I haven't got around to trying Kagetsu Tohya, so I can't compare to that one. This feels kind of like some of the more metaphysical portions of Kara no Kyoukai, I suppose.

I think I heard somebody say this actually has no choices to make, which means it wouldn't be a game, just a visual novel. And true enough, I haven't still seen a single choice. I don't know how long the demo is, though, and considering the story so far, it has still felt like an intro, so probably I wouldn't have yet seen choices even if it had those.

Ryllharu

Thu, 02-28-2013, 04:38 AM

Shit, bro, what did the experts (plumbers, utility technicians, structural inspectors, insurance company, etc.) say?

If it's everything's still damp, I'd turn up the heating and put in place fans and dehumidifiers to get rid of that moisture in addition with that pump... mold will probably be a huge problem in the near future. G'luck dude.
It's more of the fact that there is a rather large hole in my floor. That's where the sump pump goes. Unfortunately, it is also a double-edged sword, since the water table very easily rises through that same hole.

It's not really a plumbing issue. It's not very common either, but we had a lot of rain recently.

I run a de-humidifier year-round. I turned it back on this morning. It's a damp basement in general, due to the high water table.

This isn't the first time the basement has flooded (bad plumber's installation the first time, fixed that myself too), just the first time I've seen it rise up through the sump hole. Mold actually isn't much of an issue. There is very little that can actually develop mold down there. A few inches of drywall, and a few boards. I'll just spray it with a bleach solution and keep an eye on it.

Archangel

Thu, 04-25-2013, 09:41 AM

Carried the gym bag all day only to realize, once i was actually at the gym, today is a national holiday.

I'm fucking retarded.

Animeniax

Thu, 04-25-2013, 11:10 AM

What does it mean that it's a national holiday? Are gyms closed as well as government offices?

UChessmaster

Sun, 04-28-2013, 11:04 AM

My friend is driving me crazy, ironically. He has tons of mental issues that were not evident at all back when we met, now they all kinda exploded and somehow I`m paying for all the crazy shit he does. I honestly want out of all this but I also feel bad because I know it`s not his fault. sdjfbsiFNKVFLD

Animeniax

Sun, 04-28-2013, 12:00 PM

Abandoning your friends makes you a bad friend. It can't all be good times. But you also have to set boundaries and let him know what you won't be responsible for.

Abdula

Sun, 04-28-2013, 07:13 PM

sdjfbsiFNKVFLD
Need more details and what the hell does that mean.

@Ani: It doesn't make you a bad friend to get clear of the line of fire when someone is clearly being irrational.

Archangel

Sun, 04-28-2013, 07:28 PM

Keyboard faceroll of anger.

UChessmaster

Mon, 04-29-2013, 08:38 PM

Need more details and what the hell does that mean.

@Ani: It doesn't make you a bad friend to get clear of the line of fire when someone is clearly being irrational.

The random letters or my post?

Example given; He was supossed to help some girls make a thesis for college, he borrowed their laptop then had a fight with then, then according to him he got mugged and totally dissapeared on the girls. The girls SOMEHOW found my phone number and address so they call me expecting to have a magic number to my friend and get into my room uninvited expecting that i take them where he lives and to solve whatever problem they have. In essence i`m responsible for whatever issue they have out of nowhere.

He also has been stealing money from me for a while, I noticed this but since he`s extremely poor I never complained about it, I figured that if he was stealing from me it`s because he truly needed it, I even left money laying around every now and then in case he needed it. But now he`s stealing THINGS from my room, this makes me paranoid because I have absolutely no control. When it was money it was easy because I could just put it all in my pocket if I was low on cash, but now that he`s stealing random objects I`m paranoid because I don`t know what he`s taking or if he`s taking things before.

And that`s just a few examples, I could go on.

Animeniax

Mon, 04-29-2013, 08:54 PM

Wow I stand corrected, kick that p.o.s. to the curb. It sounds like you were friends and then became roommates? You can say it's not his fault because of mental issues, but in the end if those issues are causing you this kind of trouble, then he's a bad friend. If he refuses to get help, then you should get away from him.

shinta|hikari

Mon, 04-29-2013, 09:20 PM

Someone stealing from you is not your friend. Kick him out.

Buffalobiian

Mon, 04-29-2013, 10:01 PM

Does mental health exist (free social work counselling etc) where you live, so that he can get help? Have you warned him about further stealing and what the consequences of that would be?

UChessmaster

Mon, 04-29-2013, 10:15 PM

Free mental health? no, his family get him a part of the treatment he SHOULD be taking, i`ve never adressed the stealing thing, i`m afraid it would worsen his condition.

shinta|hikari

Mon, 04-29-2013, 10:19 PM

Letting him steal from you is not helping him either. That will eventually lead to him stealing from others when the opportunity arises, and others are generally not as forgiving as you are.

Sapphire

Mon, 04-29-2013, 10:34 PM

Put a lock on your door and/or GTFO.

Letting someone steal from you is basically enabling them, no matter how "mentally ill" they are.

shinta|hikari

Mon, 04-29-2013, 11:32 PM

Why would he put a lock on his door and GTFO?

Abdula

Tue, 04-30-2013, 01:04 AM

The random letters or my post?

Example given; He was supossed to help some girls make a thesis for college, he borrowed their laptop then had a fight with then, then according to him he got mugged and totally dissapeared on the girls. The girls SOMEHOW found my phone number and address so they call me expecting to have a magic number to my friend and get into my room uninvited expecting that i take them where he lives and to solve whatever problem they have. In essence i`m responsible for whatever issue they have out of nowhere.

He also has been stealing money from me for a while, I noticed this but since he`s extremely poor I never complained about it, I figured that if he was stealing from me it`s because he truly needed it, I even left money laying around every now and then in case he needed it. But now he`s stealing THINGS from my room, this makes me paranoid because I have absolutely no control. When it was money it was easy because I could just put it all in my pocket if I was low on cash, but now that he`s stealing random objects I`m paranoid because I don`t know what he`s taking or if he`s taking things before.

And that`s just a few examples, I could go on.
That sounds sad. You are nicer and far more naive than I thought. Yes I was referring to the random letters. It is depressing how much experience I have dealing with this crap, most telling is that my initial reaction to reading your post was That it?

Here are some simple rules. For your first example, ensure that your friend and everyone else knows that you are not at all responsible for his crap. Reinforce this by not taking any responsibility. As far as the stealing thing goes you should have confronted him and put a stop to it as soon as you noticed it. If he needs help financially let him ask for it like any decent human being. If he has too much pride or he is too ashamed then too bad. Instead you not only ignored the problem but facilitated it and this point any kind of confrontation will indeed make things worse but it has to be addressed. Hell this is depressing..... there comes a point when the best thing you can do for someone, and for yourself for that matter, is to let them go. Sounds like you are about there. Come up with a plan of action and implement it. You will undoubtedly appear as the bad guy so just harden your resolve, be firm and make sure your actions don't contradict your intentions.

I have a far graver, uh situation, that I have to resolve that I have been putting off for months now mostly because there is no good outcome. I decided that I would have to address the problem once the month ends which pretty much gives me less than a day to actually decide how best to go about it.

*Sigh* Ruining peoples lives is something you never get used to and in my case being too direct isn't an option. They are either likely to react violently to that which I am just not going to stand for or just shatter which I would like to avoid. Dealing with people who have fragile psyches is always complicated which is something you really have to consider with your friend. Irrational people don't react the way you think they would. Uh life's many complications.

Why would he put a lock on his door and GTFO?
Lol. One does not preclude the other?

shinta|hikari

Tue, 04-30-2013, 01:14 AM

Just because it is possible doesn't mean it makes sense.

Animeniax

Tue, 04-30-2013, 01:18 AM

Why would he put a lock on his door and GTFO?

Regardless if the roommate stays/goes, you should have boundaries with any roommate such as locking bedroom doors.

Buffalobiian

Tue, 04-30-2013, 02:03 AM

Regardless if the roommate stays/goes, you should have boundaries with any roommate such as locking bedroom doors.

Roommates share the bedroom. Are you confusing it with flatmates/housemates?

Animeniax

Tue, 04-30-2013, 02:04 AM

Roommates share the bedroom. Are you confusing it with flatmates/housemates?

Not in America. No one shares a bedroom unless you're lovers or live in a single-room dorm.

Buffalobiian

Tue, 04-30-2013, 02:06 AM

Not in America. No one shares a bedroom unless you're lovers or live in a single-room dorm.

Ah.

You guys are weird.

In that case.. lock the doors.

shinta|hikari

Tue, 04-30-2013, 04:04 AM

Wait, doesn't GTFO mean that Uchess himself leaves? I mean, the subject of that sentence is him.

Buffalobiian

Tue, 04-30-2013, 06:00 AM

I'm not sure why UChess says that talking about the thieving will be bad for his friend's mental state, but it's the best course of action.

Sapphire

Tue, 04-30-2013, 08:02 AM

Roommates live in the same room and suitemates live in the same apartment at my school, but it really depends on how the people in your area decide to categorize it.

-

Why would he put a lock on his door and GTFO?

He should put a lock on his door (immediately) and GTFO (eventually). Why he should GTFO (eventually) on top of locking his door (immediately) is explained below.

-

I'm not sure why UChess says that talking about the thieving will be bad for his friend's mental state, but it's the best course of action.

Because confronting this guy in any way, shape or form will obviously upset him. I come across an emotionally unstable person every now and then and they always blow a gasket every time you point out something questionable they're doing.

But it must be done because letting them emotionally and financially (in UChess's case) depend on you does nothing but sucks you dry. If you do, they have no reason to fix themselves or attempt to strengthen their own psyche because they can just leech off of you to make up for their own deficiencies.

Trust me UChess, this guy doesn't think it's his fault either, and that's part of the problem. Really, letting this guy go and telling it like it is makes the world a better place.

And UChess, if he threatens to hurt you, call the authorities. And this is me, the person who hates the local authorities, telling you this lol. Good luck.

shinta|hikari

Tue, 04-30-2013, 08:18 AM

Got it. The way it was written initially, I thought he should put a lock on then leave, which makes absolutely no sense.

Sapphire

Tue, 04-30-2013, 08:22 AM

UChess may not have the resources to leave immediately. From what he's saying, I'm guessing he is under a lease with either an apartment or a dorm. Both places, he'd have to stay in until the contract runs out.

He probably doesn't live with the crazy guy, so that's nice, but his possessions are still out in the open enough for the girls to go into his room without his consent and for people to steal from him, so he should try to secure his stuff as much as possible by getting a lock (or safe) immediately.

shinta|hikari

Tue, 04-30-2013, 08:42 AM

Uchiha Barles

Tue, 04-30-2013, 09:58 AM

I'd just report the guy to the police.

I really have trouble understanding Uchess' leniency. I am more inclined to be lenient to strangers when they intentionally try to harm/steal/insult me in any way. People are generally assholes anyway, so it is kind of expected. However, if a "friend" does that to you, I consider it betrayal, and betrayal is probably the worst offense in my book. I'd kill that bastard if I could get away with it.

He mentioned that he's taking the guy's mental instability into consideration. It's called empathy and compassion. That should only go so far though. Uchess, you definitely should confront the guy, but also account for his instability before you do. Calling the authorities does you little good after he's already harmed you. It may even be impossible to call them depending on how much he's harmed you. So when you do confront him, have some reassurance in the form of more others waiting very nearby (within view or earshot) yet not participating in the confrontation. They're there to protect you should the guy get violent.

I might be overreacting, but I don't know the guy and can't be sure of just how unstable he is. I'll say that him stealing from you isn't a good sign though. In my experience, if people steal from you, they don't give much of a shit about you. Meaning, they're more likely to be willing to harm you.

UChessmaster

Tue, 04-30-2013, 10:01 AM

I live in a house, he doesn`t lives with me but was working his way into moving in by slowly bringing his things to my room.

I went easy on him for several reasons:

1) He is one of my two best friends for several years.

2) I`m in a good place economically, more or less mid-high class, while he`s easily low-low class.

3) I`m not particularly attached to money and I`m really careless with my things, especially in my room, it`s not odd for someone to go into my room and see money laying around.

4) I never had trouble with missing things before.

That said, I see now how staying silent was a mistake, when he was relatively sane I didn`t mentioned it to him because I knew it would be quite embarrassing for him, after that I didn`t mentioned anything because it could worsen his condition. I decided that from now on I`ll simply receive people in my living room, no one else will get into my room besides my family.

Sapphire

Sat, 05-04-2013, 09:15 PM

Fuckkkk, I hate myself right now.

I was standing in front of my college, watching people walk by. Then this guy starts walking along my line of vision with his shirt off. I realized that he was covered in dirt and his face was all bloody. He was using his shirt to wipe the blood of his face and he was sort of limping, not walking. Clearly this guy got mugged, or was in an MMA street fight or something.

All I could say was, "You okay?." And he looked at me kind of shocked that I even said anything and was like "Yeah... I'm okay" even though he clearly wasn't. If it was the normal me, I would have forced him to let me buy him first aid or something, but I just let him walk by thinking like, "well, I can't do anything to help him". Then after a few minutes when I realized I could have in fact bought him first aid or something, I ran after him in the direction he went, but he was long gone. D:

Buffalobiian

Sat, 05-04-2013, 09:30 PM

I don't know.. if someone says "yeah, I'm alright", I don't feel I'm in any position to say "no, you're not".

Sapphire

Sat, 05-04-2013, 10:34 PM

That's just what people say to not inconvenience strangers.

If someone was clearly having a heart attack but insisted they were okay, would you turn away anyway?

Abdula

Sat, 05-04-2013, 10:59 PM

Wow Sapphire. You are downright decent. Feeling guilty about not helping that guy is kind of ridiculous though.. There isn't really anything you could have done. I, much like that guy, am surprised the thought even occurred to you. Kudos to you

Buffalobiian

Sat, 05-04-2013, 11:52 PM

That's just what people say to not inconvenience strangers.

If someone was clearly having a heart attack but insisted they were okay, would you turn away anyway?

Yes, I would. It's the same in first aid - you must ask them if they consent to you performing first aid on them or else it's assault.

If they were unconscious that's another matter, but I respect rejections. Honestly, I don't know how society and courts take this, but I'm a full supporter of autonomy. People are can make their own choices (which we should respect, or at least allow), regardless of what we think is good or bad for them.

I'm also of the belief that if you want help, you should ask for it. I don't look highly of people who don't ask for help, then make remarks such as "All he/she did was watch". Likewise, I retort with "All you did was keep your mouth shut".

I believe in positive feedback and vocalising your thoughts. People don't know what you're thinking about - and it's not up to them to guess it. If someone risks "being seen as dumb" and asks for help, they should be rewarded for their actions by having a higher chance of someone helping them. Likewise, if someone wants to keep their pride and act all tough (not asking for help is one of these acts), they deal with the resultant consequence.

Kraco

Sun, 05-05-2013, 02:05 AM

I think you are very decent indeed by asking him, Sapphi. I have a feeling these days most people would just stare or even ignore, hoping the wounded person won't approach them. The worst ones would naturally take a photo with their cell phone and upload it to Facebook...

However, if it was a young man declining assistance in a public place, my opinion is that you already did all that you could by asking and being prepared to help if he had requested it. Nobody knows his exact circumstances. For all we know he might have already reached some acquaintance by the time you lost him, so inconveniencing you would have been unnecessary in his own opinion. We'll never know, other than that it's reasonable to assume he didn't need help at that point, or his whole life might have been screwed and realistically you couldn't have done anything about it.

Ryllharu

Sun, 05-05-2013, 04:50 AM

That's just what people say to not inconvenience strangers.

If someone was clearly having a heart attack but insisted they were okay, would you turn away anyway?The amount of empty platitudes in American English is sometimes downright bizarre. It's definitely the reason Buff isn't as concerned about his state than you were.

What I mean for non-Americans: A standard greeting in the US will be "How are you?/How are things?" The expected answer is, "Good, thanks." or "Good, and yourself?" If you answer honestly, (e.g. "Not great. / Pretty shitty.") you'll either get a strange look, or they will actually, and hilariously, reply "Good!" showing you that they weren't paying attention at all.

Yes, I would. It's the same in first aid - you must ask them if they consent to you performing first aid on them or else it's assault.
Not necessarily in the US! Implied consent clauses exist within the Good Samaritan Law. Not in Saph's case since he responded. It typically is invoked for some state of unconsciousness. Many European actually enforces duty to assist.

I'm also of the belief that if you want help, you should ask for it. I don't look highly of people who don't ask for help, then make remarks such as "All he/she did was watch". Likewise, I retort with "All you did was keep your mouth shut".US Good Samaritan Laws allow bystanders to legally do nothing (except in certain states).

Buffalobiian

Sun, 05-05-2013, 06:35 AM

Not necessarily in the US! Implied consent clauses exist within the Good Samaritan Law. Not in Saph's case since he responded. It typically is invoked for some state of unconsciousness. Many European actually enforces duty to assist.

Yeah, I was talking about in cases where the patient can respond. In non-responsive states consent is implied.

I learned something on this topic last year, but I can't remember the specifics. In Australia I think you're obliged to do what a "decent human being" would do, but our laws have something that covers your ass - if you did something in good faith, you're not liable even if you screw up. This is talking about medically untrained persons. Pretty sure medically trained people are ethically obliged to help somehow. (this is all assuming consent is given or unable to be given)

The standard greeting thing happens here too (not sure how it compares to USA), but whether it's commonplace or not doesn't concern me. "Everyone says they're alright, it doesn't mean they really are" doesn't work for me. If you say you're alright, I take it so.

Ryllharu

Sun, 05-05-2013, 07:31 AM

In Australia I think you're obliged to do what a "decent human being" would do, but our laws have something that covers your ass - if you did something in good faith, you're not liable even if you screw up. This is talking about medically untrained persons. Pretty sure medically trained people are ethically obliged to help somehow. (this is all assuming consent is given or unable to be given)
Medically trained (including previous but no longer up-to-date qualifications) individuals in the US very much can be legally liable if they screw up while helping. A person is supposed to announce what type and level of training they have had if they are assisting.

I don't know how far it extends though, as in whether or not someone trained in CPR 12 year ago is legally liable if they break a rib or two doing chest compressions. Probably only refers to nurses, doctors or EMTs (presently employed, retired, or otherwise).

The laws have very peculiar idiosyncrasies.

UChessmaster

Sun, 05-05-2013, 10:10 AM

In my country, if you don`t break a rib or two you`re doing it wrong.

Death BOO Z

Sun, 05-05-2013, 03:24 PM

a new season of "big brother - Israel" just started. I'm really looking forward to spending the next three months listenning to people who claim they don't watch it deride it as garbage, despite them watching every regular episode and the live feed.
not to mention how every tv set in a public place will be showing the live feed, and yet no one will admit to liking it, but not one of them will turn it off.

hooray!, oh wait, I mean the exact opposite of that.

Abdula

Sun, 05-05-2013, 03:33 PM

You know that is really what the the UN needs to focus on. They need to sit down and get everyone to agree to stop filming/airing any reality shows for 2 or 3 years at least.

Animeniax

Wed, 05-08-2013, 01:02 AM

Whoever designed the caulk-gun method of dispensing product is an asshole and should have every orifice in his body crammed with a caulk gun and caulk emptied into him. What a ridiculously wasteful, messy, frustrating way to apply caulk/putty/cement.

Ryllharu

Wed, 05-08-2013, 04:07 AM

I didn't believe it until I saw a contractor do it right in front of me. No blobs, no gaps, no changes in width, didn't even need to run something down the line to smooth it out.

Caulking is an art.

Applying the correct pressure and moving at the correct speed is a skill that can be learned only through exhaustive experience.

Two tips I learned that I will pass along.
#1: Always cut the tube at an angle, and make damn sure the longer part of the tip is away from the direction you're moving (i.e. it is going over where you've already applied). This allows you to control the flow better.
#2: Go slow. Harder than it sounds.

#1 will help with #2, because when you have the angle correct, you put down less wasted product, and don't feel a need to move as fast.

As a bonus, using a silicone finishing tool to scrape away excess will give you a perfect line. The finger method works well, but those tools are totally worth the price. But you do have to put on what looks like a little bit more than you need for them to work correctly. Always have paper towel on hand.

Hope you have better luck with it in the future.

Kraco

Wed, 05-08-2013, 06:29 AM

I certainly haven't had bad experience with a caulk gun. It seems like a perfect, simple solution for applying a viscous substance that requires some pressure to get out of the container, and it also allows a reasonable ergonomy and keeping the disposable container itself as simple as possible because the mechanisms are mainly in the gun itself.

fahoumh

Wed, 05-08-2013, 07:12 AM

I've also seen contractors "cheat" by applying 2 strips of masking tape to get that perfect bead of caulking.

Archangel

Wed, 05-08-2013, 08:10 AM

It's impossible to find jeans who fit both my thick legs and my small waist. Anyone know of any cheap brands who accommodate for these sort of needs?

Sapphire

Wed, 05-08-2013, 08:59 AM

Wow, do ALL of you guys have construction experience? *salivates*

Buffalobiian

Wed, 05-08-2013, 09:11 AM

It's impossible to find jeans who fit both my thick legs and my small waist. Anyone know of any cheap brands who accommodate for these sort of needs?

Have you tried to see if a tailor can fix that problem for you?

You need Jojo pants. Or Spandex.

shinta|hikari

Wed, 05-08-2013, 10:02 AM

Have you tried to see if a tailor can fix that problem for you?

You need Jojo pants. Or Spandex.

I thought of the exact same 3 things, in the same order, an hour ahead but decided not to post. Creepy.

Animeniax

Wed, 05-08-2013, 11:41 AM

Applying the correct pressure and moving at the correct speed is a skill that can be learned only through exhaustive experience.

Two tips I learned that I will pass along.
#1: Always cut the tube at an angle, and make damn sure the longer part of the tip is away from the direction you're moving (i.e. it is going over where you've already applied). This allows you to control the flow better.
#2: Go slow. Harder than it sounds.

#1 will help with #2, because when you have the angle correct, you put down less wasted product, and don't feel a need to move as fast.

Hope you have better luck with it in the future.

Speed was definitely my enemy here, plus the work environment I was in. I installed an attic fan on a fairly steep roof, so between the balancing act and trying to get tools to stop sliding down the roof, it was a lot more trouble than expected. While the project wasn't difficult, it was messy and frustrating because of the caulk gun-dispensed roofing tar getting everywhere. I'm actually pretty skilled with a caulk gun, though I can never get it to not drip caulk as you move from application site to site. Cleaning up excess caulk isn't hard, but cleaning up roof tar is painful.

Wow, do ALL of you guys have construction experience? *salivates*Owning a home opens you up to all sorts of new skills/experiences. A lot of it is frustrating and expensive, but the learning experience and a well done completed project are character-building. You could also volunteer at a place like Habitat for Humanity and get some construction experience.

Assertn

Wed, 05-08-2013, 01:58 PM

It's impossible to find jeans who fit both my thick legs and my small waist. Anyone know of any cheap brands who accommodate for these sort of needs?

Try a relax fit (http://us.levi.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=12402008&cp=3146842.3146855&ab=leftnav:men:bystyle:byfit:men'sfitspectrum:1240 2008), perhaps? I decided my jeans are a little too much on the baggy side, and decided to finally spend enough time at a jeans store to figure out what really fits well, and ended up with a staight fit.

Wow, do ALL of you guys have construction experience? *salivates*

I built a hamster cage (http://imgur.com/rFjTj7a) once.

Ryllharu

Wed, 05-08-2013, 02:22 PM

It's impossible to find jeans who fit both my thick legs and my small waist. Anyone know of any cheap brands who accommodate for these sort of needs?

Hmm...thicker than average legs combined with a proportionally narrower than average waist. Sounds like you fit women's jeans for some strange reason.

Or go with Buff's suggestion and get ones that fit the legs and get them tailored to fit your waist. Tailoring simple things like that isn't all that expensive. Seamstresses are plentiful around here, I assume they are available for your country as well. When I picked up the pants for my suit, the seamstress was finishing up with a Russian guy who had gotten his jeans fixed.

Sapphire

Wed, 05-08-2013, 03:24 PM

Owning a home opens you up to all sorts of new skills/experiences. A lot of it is frustrating and expensive, but the learning experience and a well done completed project are character-building. You could also volunteer at a place like Habitat for Humanity and get some construction experience.

I don't know if making my own shoes and props (preparing wood from scraps, etc.) and what not counts as construction experience, but I am learning how to use all the heavy machinery in shop. It's so sexy.

Death BOO Z

Wed, 05-08-2013, 03:38 PM

1504
I found an old closet outside, so I sawed it apart and made book shelves out of it. I hope it does the trick for you.
I also enjoy taking apart small electronics, mostly fans.

Sapphire

Wed, 05-08-2013, 03:53 PM

Holy shit EVERYONE makes shit here. *basks in everyone's presence*

Kraco

Wed, 05-08-2013, 04:34 PM

I found an old closet outside, so I sawed it apart and made book shelves out of it.

You could have painted the pieces...

Animeniax

Wed, 05-08-2013, 04:50 PM

You could have painted the pieces...

They look like laminate over particle board, not sure how well they take paint. What he really needs are some nice book ends to class it up and keep the books vertical to spare their spines.

I don't know if making my own shoes and props (preparing wood from scraps, etc.) and what not counts as construction experience, but I am learning how to use all the heavy machinery in shop. It's so sexy.

Sure that counts too. Next time you have to use a hammer or saw, you'll have that previous experience to rely on.

Try a relax fit (http://us.levi.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=12402008&cp=3146842.3146855&ab=leftnav:men:bystyle:byfit:men'sfitspectrum:1240 2008), perhaps? I decided my jeans are a little too much on the baggy side, and decided to finally spend enough time at a jeans store to figure out what really fits well, and ended up with a staight fit.
You wear Levi's jeans? How gauche.

Abdula

Wed, 05-08-2013, 08:53 PM

I thought of the exact same 3 things, in the same order, an hour ahead but decided not to post. Creepy.
Not going to say anything about you and Buff thinking alike. It is uncanny when that happens though.

I built a hamster cage (http://imgur.com/rFjTj7a) once.

I found an old closet outside, so I sawed it apart and made book shelves out of it. I hope it does the trick for you.
I also enjoy taking apart small electronics, mostly fans.
Lol at you two trying to impress Sapphire with your mighty manly works, especially since I have you both beat. Reminds me of that episode of Home Improvement when they brought that woman on tool time and Tim and Al were trying to impress her by listing all the things they ever made. Love it though:o

@ DBZ: Kraco is right you could have painted it but it is fine without it. I want to know if there is some specific reason that there is nothing on the left side? Also curious why you didn't just put the 4 shelves vertically, smaller ones at the top, larger at the bottom. I think that would have been better, especially since you seem to be averse to putting anything on the left:p

David75

Thu, 05-09-2013, 12:50 AM

Oh the caulk-gun. I can't say I've never been frustrated with it. But eventually you get the timing right and your body moves accordingly. That is if the product isn't too cheap and has no bubles...

My gripe goes to cheap saws, electric or not, that will never let you cut anything in a neat line. And price isn't the only way to know if a saw is good. Once you have the right ones, you just keep wondering why you had so much trouble cuting materials with perfect lines.

Extensive experience in electricity, some home-control, some wood related work, plaster, plumbing and anything needed to have a cosy home. I'm in the process of finishing the flat I live in. Takes a lot more time as you can't move around as easily with fragile stuff around, but I'll finish eventually.

I did take my time preparing blueprints with less than 1cm error margin and it was really useful to plan everything. It really came up great in small spaces.

I feel like I show-off a lot :D

shinta|hikari

Thu, 05-09-2013, 02:03 AM

I see what you did... never mind.

Why the hell do supermarkets run out of a product all of a sudden? I was going to buy mirin from a supermarket that usually sells it, but they suddenly have no stock. Mirin lasts for ages, so why don't they keep more in stock and on the shelves? I had to go to a different supermarket just to get 1 item.

Xelbair

Thu, 05-09-2013, 04:16 AM

I wanted to buy mirin few days ago.. there was none. Not even a single store had one bottle left...

Death BOO Z

Thu, 05-09-2013, 04:34 AM

my supermarket is being an asshole with my frozen pizzaa. he sells the regular pizzaa with thin crust or squared shape, but not normal pizzaa (round, thick). but it still has the regular kind with olives on top. but not toppings free. bunch of jerks.

they specifically stopped getting the one thing I liked.
on less related matters: they also keep raising the prices, lowering the amount, etc. I only get my favorite brand of coffee if it's on a sale, otherwise it's twice the price of other brands

Edort4

Thu, 05-09-2013, 05:58 AM

Every time I go caulking I bring a some soap (alcohol works too but dilutes the silicon) around. It has saved me from lots of "sticky" situations. Also dont fear wasting product and cut the tube to have a 3 mm orifice big mistake there.

Kraco

Thu, 05-09-2013, 06:17 AM

They look like laminate over particle board, not sure how well they take paint. What he really needs are some nice book ends to class it up and keep the books vertical to spare their spines.

Who knows. I got pieces of old but high quality particle board with both sides laminated. I roughened the surfaces with sandpaper and they painted just fine, as long as the paint was applied sparingly. Maybe it's just the quality of the photo, but it looks like the surfaces have seen better days. However, the edges look like raw, sawed surface (as far as I can see). When you buy a shelf, the edges are always veneered, painted, or otherwise finished, so that's the norm to follow also when doing it yourself (unless it's real wood and you decide to leave it as is, of course).

Mechanically removing old, industrial paint from "scrap" particle board to repaint it was sheer madness, however, which I won't soon repeat, so I wouldn't recommend it to anybody else either.

fahoumh

Thu, 05-09-2013, 07:05 AM

Hmm...thicker than average legs combined with a proportionally narrower than average waist. Sounds like you fit women's jeans for some strange reason.I thought the exact same thing too....

Buffalobiian

Thu, 05-09-2013, 07:28 AM

BF3 servers being DOSed.

Fucking Activision kid who gets caught aim-botting.

Carnage

Sat, 05-11-2013, 09:41 PM

I fucking hate giant douchebag professors.

enkoujin

Sat, 05-11-2013, 10:27 PM

I fucking hate giant douchebag professors.

What did they do this time?

Carnage

Sun, 05-12-2013, 12:24 AM

There's this philosophy class the entire University has to take, taught in seminars by different professors. Generally its Curved to a B+/A- (really high I know) but the fucking asshole who teaches my class decides to assign us twice the workload and curve to a B-/B. Its very very frustrating.

Archangel

Sun, 05-12-2013, 05:56 AM

He's making you work for your grades? Oh noes :O

Carnage

Sun, 05-12-2013, 10:30 AM

He's making you work for your grades? Oh noes :O

The problem here is relativity. Every other class works half as hard for twice the grade.

enkoujin

Sun, 05-12-2013, 04:32 PM

That sucks, but do you think the extra work will pay off later?

I've had a bunch of terrible professors for common core courses who marked unfairly compared to other professors, but there were instances where the unfair professors gave me incentive to work harder, which develop my intended skills than professors who handed me higher grades for mediocre work.

Abdula

Sun, 05-12-2013, 05:04 PM

He's making you work for your grades? Oh noes :O
High five, and I think grading curves are an abomination.

The problem here is relativity. Every other class works half as hard for twice the grade.
Life isn't fair, at least you will have the satisfaction of knowing you earned your grade

Carnage

Sun, 05-12-2013, 05:07 PM

For a single class that makes us read 1-2 books every week the extra work is not appreciated.

Animeniax

Sun, 05-12-2013, 08:30 PM

I'm with Carnage. If it was a core course to his major then I could see it being worth the effort and extra work. But for a mandatory bs generic course, having to do extra work sucks when it's for no better reason than an instructor trying to make his own role more meaningful.

UChessmaster

Sun, 05-12-2013, 08:41 PM

I have college partners that are absolute idiots, they know absolutely nothing about the career and still manage to pass because our grading system sucks. To pass, the only think you need is brain activity.

shinta|hikari

Sun, 05-12-2013, 08:58 PM

From my experience, the teachers who make students work hard are the better ones. It is much easier to take it easy on the students than to make them try harder, so they are actually spending more effort to teach more.

UChessmaster

Sun, 05-12-2013, 09:16 PM

Although most teachers make things TOO easy, some want to make it harder, but can`t because the career has some issues and they literally can`t fail anyone. We have a partner who I don`t consider my partner at all and I see her more as the group`s pet.

Animeniax

Mon, 05-13-2013, 12:47 AM

Is she hot?

@shinta: I've had all kinds, the ones who sucked and made up for it with a lot of work and the ones who were good teachers but didn't bog you down with a lot of busy work. After 200+ hours of university courses, my experience is that there doesn't seem to be much of a relationship between teaching ability and the amount of work they force you to do.

Dark Dragon

Mon, 05-13-2013, 02:10 AM

Buffalobiian

Mon, 05-13-2013, 02:39 AM

All of you seem to have so many unnecessary classes. In both my degrees every course was relevant. Some were more "industry specific" than others, but there was never anything out of the left field. On the other hand, my degrees allowed no room for personalisation of courses. Everybody does the same subject in the specified timetables set out by the school. Honours/non-Honour programs* are the only difference half-way during the year.

*In my health degrees, Honours are awarded to those who (are selected to) perform some form of research as part of their degree (in the second half). There are other degrees that award Honours based on academic proficiency.

Animeniax

Mon, 05-13-2013, 02:46 AM

I think a set degree plan with no room for personalization is just as bad as one that forces you to take some random courses that don't pertain to your field, though I liked my degree plan where you have electives that must satisfy fine arts (if you're a science major) and science classes (if you're a fine arts major).

I have to disagree with Dark Dragon in that I don't think they are a waste of time. Unless you know for sure what your future career will be, taking these other courses can open your mind to new ideas and career paths. Also, it's fun to meet people from other majors. I think it would suck to only be around engineering students if you're an engineering major, and equally if you are a liberal arts major who never gets to take classes with science majors. I think college should be more than just getting ready for your future job, but should focus mostly on that.

Dark Dragon

Mon, 05-13-2013, 03:41 AM

Basic level classes are fine, which gets people acquainted to the concepts.

What i'm talking about are mid to higher tier classes that people from other majors must take for some ridiculous reasons.

It's not to say that i think your degree should only focus on your major, but there's honestly too much padding in most degree plans i see nowadays.

UChessmaster

Mon, 05-13-2013, 04:53 AM

Is she hot?

meh, 4/10

Xelbair

Mon, 05-13-2013, 10:52 AM

Honestly, some college profs are just bitter.

I think on some level, every professor understand that a significant portions of their students do not care.

You can't exactly blames the students either, since some Universities just add random classes that barely relates to the field.

My university does the that a bit too much - last semester(and partially in this one) i had more subjects relating to civil engineering(parts of civ eng that have NO relation to my course(Surveying) to clarify) than to Surveying...

I'm an accounting major and i can't tell you the number of times i've heard marketing majors complain about taking accounting classes. I can tell you with certainly that 99% of those people will never use this knowledge again in their professional life. It does not relate to what they're doing and someone in marketing will never have to deal with the financials.

Learning for the sake of learning is stupid and your education should accurately reflect your professional aim. There are simply too many damn college students who aimlessly go through college, learning a significant amount of useless information that does not benefit them in anyway and most of those ends up with a huge debt while being unemployed/at a shitty job.

"Earning your grades" is another stupid concept for teachers. Unless a person interest relate to the subject, there's a really damn good chance that they don't care about it as much as you do. The whole point of core classes to teach students a certain amount of basic knowledge about math/science/history that will let them function in a professional environment. The other skill you learn is how to properly follow instructions, every good teacher realizes this and will usually give a step-by-step process to solving problems. Making it harder for the students to "earn their grades" will do absolutely nothing but makes them despise the subject they already have no interest in.

I've met few different kinds of profs(that teach subjects not related to the course)
-One wants you to get interested in the subject, despite it being mildly related to your major, balancing on the tight line between being too lax and too strict.(my Mechanics prof and 90% of field related ones)

-Another one is really strict and thinks that it is the most important subject ever(despite it being a really niche one), and forces you to do shitload of stuff(that doesn't even teach anything - its just repetitive and tiring) 5% of field related ones, 25% of non-related ones

-Yet another one is too lax about everything and doesn't care at all. 5% of field related ones, 25% of non related

- and the last kind sees no difference between someone majoring in the field and someone unrelated to it, assumes(or doesn't even care) that you have all information required(which obviously is only in the specific course) and just gives you the same workload. 49% of non-related

Most ppl teaching the surveying-related stuff assume that you are interested in it, don't give that much workload and try to make the subject interesting.

Ryllharu

Mon, 05-13-2013, 04:17 PM

Just throwing this out there:

I use my university Minor (English) more than I use my Major (Mechanical Engineering) in the professional world. The technical class I use the most? An elective (fatigue and fracture mechanics). Everything else has been the, "Match What You're Looking at with the Appropriate Formula from Roark's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roark's_Formulas_for_Stress_and_Strain)," game.

A broad education helps more than you would expect.

Animeniax

Mon, 05-13-2013, 04:59 PM

At an entry level position you may be required to utilize your major's skills and expertise more, but as you progress you will most likely need more communication skills (like writing and psychology), such as when you're leading project groups or managing people. You don't want an entry level engineer/mathematician to send out group emails if you want them to be understood and not upsetting to everyone else in the office.

I was a liberal arts major but I utilize my compsci minor skills more now. Once I'm PD, that will reverse as I'll have to rely on my social psychology skills to deal with people as a rookie officer, but then I'll revert back to computer sciences as a cybercrime/forensics detective once I've progressed.

Ryllharu

Mon, 05-13-2013, 05:27 PM

You don't want an entry level engineer/mathematician to send out group emails if you want them to be understood and not upsetting to everyone else in the office.
You'd be amused at how often it is the other way around.

Some people just can't write or communicate no matter what experience level or age.

The junior employee writes it so it can be understood and conveyed intelligently. The experienced employee or manager proofreads it to make sure nothing incorrect was said, and is thrown on cc to make sure it isn't ignored by the recipients.

Animeniax

Mon, 05-13-2013, 05:41 PM

You'd be amused at how often it is the other way around.

Some people just can't write or communicate no matter what experience level or age.

The junior employee writes it so it can be understood and conveyed intelligently. The experienced employee or manager proofreads it to make sure nothing incorrect was said, and is thrown on cc to make sure it isn't ignored by the recipients.

I imagine it depends on what field we're talking about. I've worked in IT for a while and messages sent for company-wide purposes or to external groups are usually vetted/cleaned up by a PR group within the company. At my last job, there was an entire department titled "Strategic Communications." Basically anything the tech staff wanted to put out to the userbase had to go through SC before it could be distributed.

The junior employee writes it so it can be understood and conveyed intelligently. Again it depends on the field I guess. Technical employees write messages that other technically minded people can understand, but not your average secretary or even manager can decipher.

Ryllharu

Mon, 05-13-2013, 07:29 PM

Again it depends on the field I guess. Technical employees write messages that other technically minded people can understand, but not your average secretary or even manager can decipher.
I realize it isn't what you meant, but that is a ridiculously snobby and elitist way to put it.

Which is kinda the point I was making when I said some just don't know how to communicate.

There's a different way to put a lot of things. An email might get forwarded to a executive depending on what it is on, so you don't want to get too into the weeds of technical lingo, nor do you want it misinterpreted, or ultimately come off as an arse.

"Executive-Level write up" means "high level" which in reality means a summary that is easy to understand without getting too much into technical details. At the same time, sometimes you really have to make it simple for other technically minded people, because otherwise they won't understand and will just end up calling you a dozen times anyway.

Animeniax

Mon, 05-13-2013, 07:39 PM

Yeah it sounds snobbish but it's how it is. Technical jargon or not dumbing something down can turn a simple message about an email server maintenance outage and 5 minutes of downtime into a huge mess when your average non-IT person reads it and thinks all systems will be down and they won't be able to do their important work. I've been in IT 14 years and it hasn't changed.

Ryllharu

Mon, 05-13-2013, 07:47 PM

You don't need to include technical jargon in a statement that says:

"The print server will be down for maintenance at 4:45pm today.
This outage only affects the ability to print, and is expected to last for 15 minutes. Please plan accordingly. "

It's not as hard as you're making it out to be.

Animeniax

Mon, 05-13-2013, 08:21 PM

Yet we'll still get calls complaining about the downtime, asking if it will affect email, mainframe, or application access. It shouldn't be that hard, true, but somehow it is. I think you give other people too much credit because you're not a dimbulb yourself. Like I said, 14 years in IT and people still amaze me with their fear of computing and IT. Your message seems self-explanatory, but people will still ask does this mean printing from email only or from Word or from some mainframe app? (legitimate question since mainframe print queues are handled by a separate system). You have to be more specific with your email, but this is self-defeating because at that point people stop reading and just flood the phone queue to ask what you mean.

IT folks aren't that helpful in this because they often refuse to send email like the one you posted. Why explain that a print server outage means users won't be able to print? That seems obvious enough.

But back on topic, I feel a complete college experience requires students to take courses in areas where they are weak. At UT, there is a writing core requirement and an ethics requirement, among others. You can take classes that apply to your major, but they have an emphasis on writing and researching or on ethical issues in your field.

shinta|hikari

Mon, 05-13-2013, 09:48 PM

I agree that people can be unfathomably stupid. A coworker once complained that the word document I sent her was incomplete because it was missing data. I went over to her desk to take a look at it, and had to use all of my self control to not go berserk as I told her, "Please scroll down."

Sapphire

Mon, 05-13-2013, 11:21 PM

Holy shit EVERYONE makes shit here. *basks in everyone's presence*

Late-ass reply, but I wanted to gush (reverse-bitch?) about making these (http://i.imgur.com/03SAfp5.jpg) today.

Kraco

Tue, 05-14-2013, 02:24 AM

Late-ass reply, but I wanted to gush (reverse-bitch?) about making these (http://i.imgur.com/03SAfp5.jpg) today.

Good tools and good results. That's how it's supposed to be. But really, a wrong thread, since it looks like the frames are perfect.

Animeniax

Tue, 05-14-2013, 01:38 PM

Late-ass reply, but I wanted to gush (reverse-bitch?) about making these (http://i.imgur.com/03SAfp5.jpg) today.

Wow, you made those yourself?? They look great. Are they frames for paint canvasses? And what college course teaches you shop skills? Last time I had a class like that was in high school.

Abdula

Tue, 05-14-2013, 01:58 PM

*claps hands* Nice Job Sapphire. Way to go team Sapphire.

@Ani :rolleyes:

I can't believe I missed this entire discussion. I can't believe Dark Dragon said that learning for the sake of learning is stupid (-_-) I have issues with pretty much everything he said.

Anyway not why I am here. I am with Shinta, people can be unfathomably stupid. In my case I think people just need to be able to take somethings at face value without looking too much into it. Sometimes you just have to accept that the sky is blue and water is wet. I think I need to take up a relaxing hobby like wood carving again. I used to do it when I was younger and it was very therapeutic. Cut down a nice piece of mahogany(hack it to pieces), decide which piece you want to use and want for, strip it, sand it, carve it, varnish it and you just feel so much better. And since I was fond of making staffs, if that doesn't help any then at least you have a nice weighty blunt instrument to use.