The Bitching Thread

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

By not having the police readily respond to complaints/calls for assistance, you're just encouraging vigilantism and for people to take care of bad situations on their own, increasing the chances for things to really get out of hand. I'm not sure about places like Finlandia or Australia, but in the US, that means increased gun violence and death.

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Ideally the police should come out every single time, and the discretion of when they should be called in the first place should lie with the community.

It's when people get lazy and/or paranoid, then turn to the better-safe-then-sorry model, in addition to the police meeting budget and manpower requirements that they must arbitrarily enforce a threshold for when they should actually act.

It's tough.. but.... :/

edit: regarding the "taking things into your own hands" part... I had a little chuckle (from remembering the little "tolerance" talk with Ark above).

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Originally Posted by Kraco

I don't enjoy interacting with the police so much that I'd like them called every time someone is disturbed by noise or suspects a slim chance of something being wrong, but not necessarily even criminally wrong. Especially with the economic recession promoting criminal activity yet decreasing the national budget, the funding for the police included. So, the already stressed police forces have far better things to do than to check out every cursing dude.

Besides, ours is such a nanny state anyway that the last thing needed is the police sticking their nose in everyday business.

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Of all the necessities you shouldn't slack on in a recession, police and emergency services like fire and medical should be on the top of that list. Cut funding for other programs (national defense, subsidizing oil and wasteful farming practices, etc), but don't cut funding for vital services that serve the public and also keep people at work.

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

Ideally the police should come out every single time, and the discretion of when they should be called in the first place should lie with the community.

It's when people get lazy and/or paranoid, then turn to the better-safe-then-sorry model, in addition to the police meeting budget and manpower requirements that they must arbitrarily enforce a threshold for when they should actually act.

It's tough.. but.... :/

edit: regarding the "taking things into your own hands" part... I had a little chuckle (from remembering the little "tolerance" talk with Ark above).

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You have it backwards. The public should call in every incident, and the police use discretion when to respond. The police have the training and the authority and know where their people are and whether they can respond quickly and effectively. People don't have the common sense to be trusted when to call and when not to.

No you shouldn't call the police for every weird noise or peculiar person, but a guy cursing for hours should warrant a call. If nothing else, reporting it to police is a good start to document the incident. If there's enough calls, they will act. If they can establish a pattern, they will have something to act on. Don't just ignore it.

Amazon will no longer be tax free in Texas starting July 1. What the hell is this??

Hilarious is what that is. I bet it seems like they are specifically targeting you right?

Texas? More like Taxas, amirite?!

But, seriously, bro, that's awful. Are there any other alternatives to Amazon down there?

Nah, different states have been after Amazon for sales taxes for years. I guess Texas was the only one so far with the balls to follow through, and Amazon caved. I'm not long for this shithole state and it's 100F+ weather, so it doesn't matter that much. Previously I think only California and maybe a couple other states required taxes from Amazon.

@enkoujin: with their Prime membership that included free 2 day shipping, Amazon was the best place for pretty much anything you needed and for cheap. You can actually get cheaper prices for computer equipment at Newegg and cheaper prices for other stuff at other online retailers, but few have the selection of Amazon as a one-stop shop. And the shipping prices typically made shopping at other companies less appealing.

@Buff from below: probably not worth it, plus the additional transit time. There are other e-tailers with better pricing already. Of course, Amazon has this amazing few-questions-asked customer service, kind of like Walmart. Other places aren't so customer friendly.

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

Amazon will no longer be tax free in Texas starting July 1. What the hell is this??

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Check out if sending the packages to a different state, then having them sent back over via a mail-forwarding service is worth the extra cost. Might not work for cheap items, but could be worth looking at for purchases exceeding a few hundred dollars.

Got friendzoned >.>

Friendzone doesn't exist...but please elaborate.

It does exist.

Well i met this guy and apparently im like the brother he never had. We talk every day a lot, but at this point i think i waited too long and speaking of dating and whatnot feels awkward.

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Originally Posted by UChessmaster

Well i met this guy and apparently im like the brother he never had. We talk every day a lot, but at this point i think i waited too long and speaking of dating and whatnot feels awkward.

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Yeah, I'm with darkshadow on this. I've seen enough people in the "friend-zone" get out of it to know that it doesn't exist. It's basically a rejection that's convenient to use to avoid hurting the feelings of the person being rejected. It's convenient because you two have made each other available enough for that line to work. So, first thing to do, is to revoke some of your availability from that person.

edit: Ah, misread your post. You haven't actually been "friend-zoned" or rejected. This is probably the most cliche advice ever, but it works. If you like this guy, tell him and let the decision rest on him. Don't reject yourself for him.

If you really want to salvage all you can, I've heard of cases where you can still be their "friend" and see if anyone from their networks has compatibility with you.

I'd definitely take some time to gather your thoughts and getting back to normal before doing anything of that degree first, though. A sympathetic beer and best wishes to you.

Some asshole hit the side mirror on my sister's car a few days ago and it's busted; there's even evidence of light grazing on the door right underneath it. The part that really pisses me off is the fact that they didn't even have any consideration or decency to leave a note. Now we're left with a broken side mirror that we have to replace and no way to find out who did it.

Japan just lost in the men's olympic soccer semi-final to Mexico, ruining the chance of having both their men's and women's teams in the finals (never happened in Olympic history). Mexican players flopped like fishes, the cheap bastards.

My crt monitor just died.

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Originally Posted by darkshadow

My crt monitor just died.

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Late to reply, but that sucks. I hate when equipment just up and dies, apparently for no reason and without warning. Unless it's been giving you problems before now.

It seems some of my favorite shows are going through growing pains, with the writing suffering most likely due to the shows' successes and popularity. The first 2-3 seasons of Children's Hospital, NTSV:SD:SUV, and Louie were all pretty amazing. The newest episodes of each series not so much. They went from clever and hilarious to ludicrous and unfunny. Here's hoping Archer doesn't fail in its new season.

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Originally Posted by darkshadow

My crt monitor just died.

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Props to you for using such an ancient device until this day.

Not many people can still use outdated technology to the point where they'll break down.

But DS loved his CRT for its strengths (colour reproduction, response time), so does that count?

My sister is a bitch. My grandmother has dementia, so someone has to keep watch over her and since my aunts don't want her to be taken to a nursing home 4 hours away, they decide to pay me(very little a month) to take care of her. My sister constant bitches about me having some money, while at the same time complains that she has to go to my mom's nail salon to learn for free the trade and expect to be paid for it. All she does is goes there for 2-3 hours, bitches when she gets home, goes and smokes weed in her room and fills the entire house with the disgusting smell. She even has her BF living with her, which my mom is against but doesn't do anything about it. Best of all, she has a kid(not the current BF's) that she basically leaves alone the entire time so she can smoke and have sex in her room, which everyone can hear, and then complains that her kid isn't doing so well in school. Makes me want to punch her in her fucken face.

Wow. That's... fucked up.

Yeah, tell me about it. I literally have to turn off the AC just so the smell doesn't go past the stairs. And just a few minutes ago, she bitched at me for buying $6 worth of McDonalds breakfast today, and thinks I'm loaded. My mom has a 300 dollar gift card that she wants to use for gas only, my sister found out about it and wanted to buy clothes with it. My mom gave me the card to fill up the cars with gas(two of them), so I do, then stop by and get some breakfast. I paid in cash for the food, and now my sister thinks I'm just using the card for w/e. So she bitches at my mom about it, my mom calls me and tells me no fast food blah blah then says to give her the card so she can buy some pants. I warned her she'll probably spend it on other shit or get the most expensive pants she can find, but w/e. So I tell my sister she can buy her pants and hand her the card. She snaps at me and says 'why, so you can spend the rest of it on food?'... God she's lucky I can control my anger, or she would of had a blood face. Also, I told her forget and kept the card.

Sorry for the long bitch, just tired of her.

Man, you need to move out. You won't survive in that house much longer without losing your sanity with people like that. I'm sure your sister would also be much more tolerable if you only had to suffer her company once a year, you know.

Oh I definitely plan too, but I'm also trying to convince my mom to kick her out. My mom has alot of stress on her hands and my sister only cares about herself. Money is really tight on her, being a single mom, I try to lessen the load on her. My father was the main bread maker in the family, and when he passed, she's had to work harder. All the while, my sister leaves all the school/Taekwondo expenses to my mom, plus she's feeding her BF with my mom's food. And in all honesty, I'm suprised her BF hasn't left her, considering she's so lazy. He works 2 jobs, while she sits at home and complains.

Quick edit: Also, it's slightly hard to move out right now, with my grandma the way she is. She wanders outside trying to go to her old house and she makes a mess everywhere(and if your in an asian family like me, you know how your parents react to messes). My sister has said out loud that she won't help her, my twin brother has a job and can't really help with his schedule, and my younger brother has autism, so I'm pretty much the only one my mom can rely on to take care of her.

that sounds rough.
wouldn't it be easier if both you and your grandmother would move to her old house? you'd still have to take care of her by yourself, but you won't have the additional burden of dealing with the rest of the family.

She's kinda not allowed there anymore, my aunt and uncles live there and they don't have time to watch her at all. She's one of those old farmer type korean ladies, so she might attempt to do something there that she did before. We've already had that house catch on fire, nearly burnt the entire house down.

Edit: Bitch for today, went to the dentist to finally get my crown on my tooth. it's been like 5 weeks now since they started. So after they finally put it in, they show my teeth xray, tell me that the side was bad, and the core wasn't good either from before they started. The lady said they were either going to replace the tooth or do a root canal. They choose root canal, trying to save the tooth. Well, she tells me since the core of the tooth was bad, the crown and tooth(what's left of it) might break off, which then they'll replace... Kinda pissed me off, sounded like they only did the root canal, because it might break off anyway, so they get to do both, squeezing more money out of me.

Not all dentists are good at what they do, sadly. Some of them are downright terrible.

A (older) friend of mine was forced to go to one that never used novocaine, the dentist didn't believe in it. He'd drill until the patient couldn't stand it anymore, then stop, meaning a lot of the decay never got drilled out. So my friend had to get rework down the road.

Luckily, my own is really really good at what she does.

Unfortunately, years of never flossing forced me to get a filling. Now I take much better care of my teeth. Better they are fixing it then letting it get worse. Still, you might want to find a new dentist.

I hate people using "pretentious" to criticize something. It's an empty buzzword. By saying something is "pretentious" with no supporting criticism, you're just trying to make your opinion sound like more than a value judgment - in effect, people who criticize things for being "pretentious" are themselves being pretentious.

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Originally Posted by Y

I hate people using "pretentious" to criticize something. It's an empty buzzword. By saying something is "pretentious" with no supporting criticism, you're just trying to make your opinion sound like more than a value judgment - in effect, people who criticize things for being "pretentious" are themselves being pretentious.

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How delightfully quaint that you would be opposed to the word that best describes you.

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Originally Posted by Archangel

How delightfully quaint that you would be opposed to the word that best describes you.

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I was sure that was a setup so I didn't respond.

My bitch is meeting up with people you knew from high school/college after a time apart and seeing they haven't changed for the better or progressed much at all. They're following the path that 95% of people follow... work, maybe family, and slowly fading into old age. Gone are the dreams and freedom and potential to do whatever people dream of when they are young and free. That didn't happen to me, so it's comforting to look in from the outside, but also depressing because the human spirit is so easy to crush and make a person into an automaton.

I never had any of that to start with, so I don't think I can relate to you there.

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Originally Posted by Archangel

How delightfully quaint that you would be opposed to the word that best describes you.

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I'll admit I posted this after reading you call some anime pretentious, but it wasn't about you in particular. It's just a pet peeve.

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Originally Posted by Y

I'll admit I posted this after reading you call some anime pretentious, but it wasn't about you in particular. It's just a pet peeve.

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I think you read me dismissing the idea of an anime being pretentious. That or you read an old post i don't remember.

You're right, it was animus.

Do you disagree though?

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

My bitch is meeting up with people you knew from high school/college after a time apart and seeing they haven't changed for the better or progressed much at all. They're following the path that 95% of people follow... work, maybe family, and slowly fading into old age. Gone are the dreams and freedom and potential to do whatever people dream of when they are young and free. That didn't happen to me, so it's comforting to look in from the outside, but also depressing because the human spirit is so easy to crush and make a person into an automaton.

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Speaking of posts that look like a setup.

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Originally Posted by Y

Speaking of posts that look like a setup.

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I'd say my post is more along my usual lines of thought, which is why I'm so critical of people and what they choose to do with their time that seem like a waste of time (replaying video games is high on that list). That it concerns people I know and actual events in my life over this weekend only reinforces my purpose for posting it here.

As far as your earlier post and Archangel's reply, I think it's funny that someone like you that I'd consider pretentious would accuse others of the same fault. It's ironic because I am critical of people who are critical of people, so I guess in our cases it goes back to "takes one to know one."

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

As far as your earlier post and Archangel's reply, I think it's funny that someone like you that I'd consider pretentious would accuse others of the same fault.

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Oh gosh, was that the implication? Thanks for explaining it for me.

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Originally Posted by Y

Oh gosh, was that the implication? Thanks for explaining it for me.

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How pretentious of you!

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

I never had any of that to start with, so I don't think I can relate to you there.

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

I'd say my post is more along my usual lines of thought, which is why I'm so critical of people and what they choose to do with their time that seem like a waste of time (replaying video games is high on that list).

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I spent 40 hours completing Borderlands 2, then spent another 50 hours (so far) replaying it.

I'm like... the very definition of what you're bitching about.

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

I spent 40 hours completing Borderlands 2, then spent another 50 hours (so far) replaying it.

I'm like... the very definition of what you're bitching about.

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Nah, only if you did it all the time and had a very limited outlook on life, which vibe I don't get from you, at least from your posts. Replaying video games isn't that bad by itself, but coupled with other introverted tendencies it might be a bad sign. I really think there are better ways to spend your time learning and experiencing new things.

I spent a lot of time playing BL1 (can't recall how many hours exactly). Playing BL2 is so much like an expansion that I've stopped playing. I'm currently level 24 and just met Brick and joined his slabs. I might finish the main mission but the side jobs are pointless.

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

How pretentious of you!

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What a surprise, you don't know what words mean.

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Originally Posted by Y

What a surprise, you don't know what words mean.

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That's ironic like rain on your wedding day.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT IM WASTED RIGHT NOW

You type pretty well considering. Your bitch should come later today with the hangover.

My Uverse DVR rebooted itself and wiped all my recorded shows. Not much, but sucks thinking its unreliable for long term storage of media.

Spent 9 hours today removing, rebuilding, and reinstalling the power steering pump and hoses in my car. Thought I had it fixed... but it still leaks fluid (can't figure out where) onto the exhaust manifold, causing it to burn and smoke. Plus no power steering which makes driving nearly impossible. Time to take it to a pro on Monday.

even if you would have found the leak, can you really reliably replace something like that in your car?
I'm all in for do-it-yourself and shit, but the engine?

my bitch: I was supposed to have an interview for a research assistant position today, but the professor didn't respond to any of my e-mails asking when to meet her. even though she was the one to suggest Sunday. (I even prematurely ended my shitty job for it).

I need to get a start on my career path, whatever the shit it's going to be.

The power steering components aren't really a part of the engine, more a part of the suspension and steering controls. The pump is only tied to the engine in that it is driven by a belt that turns with the turning of the engine. At this point it's probably just a leaking hose somewhere in the system, but I can't identify it without getting it on a lift. There are hoses that connect the power steering pump to the steering rack and back to the fluid reservoir. If the rack is leaking, that gets expensive to replace (difficult to service yourself, though I haven't researched it) but not too bad, around $300 for a re-manufactured rack, plus labor to get it installed, which involves a bit of suspension work.


An interview on a Sunday? I guess that's normal considering your people don't consider Sunday a holy day. Hopefully you didn't send too many email and scared her off. Just check with her tomorrow and hopefully it works out.

Fuck you hurricanes!

(And power companies that fix the wealthiest areas first.)

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Originally Posted by Ryllharu

Fuck you hurricanes!

(And power companies that fix the wealthiest areas first.)

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Hope you're doing okay down there, Ryllharu.

http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net...18493_700b.jpg

but seriously - i hope that everything is ok in there.

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Originally Posted by Xelbair

but seriously - i hope that everything is ok in there.

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Hahah that's so wrong, but awesome. Modern media blows everything out of proportion to sell news, it's ridiculous.

I thought a couple of hundred people died?

Edit: No my bad, it's in the 50s. Still, the danger was there.

118 total, 50 in the US. Sorry, but if you can't not die from some wind and flooding, you were doomed anyway.

Just wow. Really wow

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

118 total, 50 in the US. Sorry, but if you can't not die from some wind and flooding, you were doomed anyway.

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If i had a friend or a family member who had died to this i'd honestly be doxing you and thinking of places where to dump the body.

Yeah that was a bit insensitive on my part. Damn you internet anonymity, letting us get away with talking all kinds of shit with no fear of repercussions!

Sandy hit Cuba too if i remember right - why news are talking only about US? what about other hurricanes/cyclones that hit smaller countries(with bigger 'body count')? no one mentions them in news....

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.

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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Originally Posted by Dark Dragon

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.

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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.

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Originally Posted by Carnage

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.

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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.

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

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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 and international 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.

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.

@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.

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.

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.

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.


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

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by animus

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.

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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), 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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryllharu

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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryllharu

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.

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.

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 is the cardinal example of this. Engineering students always come up with crazy solutions that don't work or are insanely expensive.

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.

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).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryllharu

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 is the cardinal example of this. Engineering students always come up with crazy solutions that don't work or are insanely expensive.

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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.

@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.

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.

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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Xelbair

you can't afford solutions? deal with it.

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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.

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.

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

Soon after, I wasn't laughing any more.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryllharu

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.

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?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

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

Soon after, I wasn't laughing any more.

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

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

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.

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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"?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fahoumh

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

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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

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fahoumh

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.

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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.

Quote:

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

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

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.

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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.

Quote:

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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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fahoumh

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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

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

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Same as any other regular backup :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

Same as any other regular backup :P

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For your phone data?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

For your phone data?

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Animeniax

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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

Same as any other regular backup :P

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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.

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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fahoumh

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.

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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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buffalobiian

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

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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.