What made you smile today?

[Animeniax]

I jumped the shark at work today. I only have 2 weeks left on a 4 month contract and decided to let it all hang out. We're discussing ways to improve quality in our work (it's mostly data entry) and when they asked me for my input on how to improve quality, I responded, "be Asian." As I am one of the very very few Asians in this office, the others didn't take my comments too well and laughed it off like I was crazy. But it stands that I have one of the highest quality and quantity scores in the office out of 300-400 employees, and I'm Asian. Coincidence? I don't think so.

[enkoujin]

Good to hear that you're doing well at your workplace.

Generally, I've always had a feeling that Caucasians never ever take racism too casually in the workplace/school because of the fear of appearing too racially oppressive and long histories of ancestral white guilt.

[Buffalobiian]

Generally, I've always had a feeling that Caucasians never ever take racism too casually in the workplace/school because of the fear of appearing too racially oppressive and long histories of ancestral white guilt.

I know someone who is really misinformed about a lot of racial things and just gets things wrong in general (sometimes hilariously so..). It's just amazing how little people know about things in general (things as in social/general world knowledge - not pop culture). Mistaking continents for countries is one such error - but now that I think about it, I don't think I ever learned it in school. Maybe it points more to a failing of our education system than to the kids.

[shinta|hikari]

I think it is partly the fault of the internet. It does provide access to useful information, but also useless crap, which people (especially kids) enjoy a lot more.

I can only imagine what things I could have achieved had I not watched all that anime and read all that manga, which I managed to get for free because of the internet.

[Animeniax]

Good to hear that you're doing well at your workplace.

Generally, I've always had a feeling that Caucasians never ever take racism too casually in the workplace/school because of the fear of appearing too racially oppressive and long histories of ancestral white guilt.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or just your usual self. Considering I was terminated from my previous job and couldn't find work for 6 months before taking this contract job, you (and I) would think I'd learn not to joke about certain things like race, sexual harassment, etc that are generally prohibited in the workplace. But sometimes I just don't give a shit and see where it takes me. I think a large part of my current attitude is because I just got a new permanent job, so I don't really care about how I leave this current contract job. My problem is that I live in the moment (and for the future) so I forget the past too easily. If I remembered how bad it sucked to not be able to find work (like this past summer and fall) then I'd be more careful how I behaved at work.

I can only imagine what things I could have achieved had I not watched all that anime and read all that manga, which I managed to get for free because of the internet.

You'd probably just have ended up like that guy who quit the internet for a year... you'd have found some other way to waste time.

Mistaking continents for countries is one such error - but now that I think about it, I don't think I ever learned it in school. Maybe it points more to a failing of our education system than to the kids.

You never had a geography class in school? I did in elementary school and then it was rehashed in different subjects in middle and high school.

[Buffalobiian]

You never had a geography class in school? I did in elementary school and then it was rehashed in different subjects in middle and high school.

I had "social studies" in Grade 5, which covered a fair bit of Australian history and geography (along with where bauxite was mined, amongst other things). It goes down as one of my favourite classes ever. We also might have had geography of some sort of Grade 8, but I can't remember anything useful from that year. I chose to do history in grades 9 and 10, so I missed out on any geography that would have been running at the same time.

So, no. All in all, I never encountered a World Geography class during school. I learned it by going to the library every now and again and read a different World Encyclopaedia every time. It's still all pretty elusive to me, so I have no idea how the less learned would deal with it.

[Ryllharu]

Mistaking continents for countries is one such error - but now that I think about it, I don't think I ever learned it in school. Maybe it points more to a failing of our education system than to the kids.

Sounds like a cultural problem with the only country that is also a continent.

edit:
They don't have a need for geography due to the widespread belief that they'll be the only country to survive global nuclear war...at least for a little while.

[Assertn]

Have been taking a break from stock chasing for a while, since the market was too chaotic the past few years, but I started getting back into it earlier in the year. Bought into XONE and SSYS a few days ago, and are now up 17% and 13%, respectively. Now for the bitching part: The bulk of my SEP contribution has been put on hold the past few days, preventing me from being able to buy ONVO, which would've netted me an extra $750 by now. Oh well...

Apparently 3D printing stocks also print money in the market these days~~

[Kraco]

So, I bought a protective visor with earmuffs included today from a discount store. It's otherwise cool and seems solid, but for some unexplainable reason the 1mm polycarbonate shielding your eyes and face has been blurred (kind of like it was sanded). This thing is meant to allow you to work on something safely keeping your eyes open - but you can't see through it. And no, it isn't simply dimmed like sunglasses or a welding mask, it just makes everything blurry beyond hope.

This is so bizarre that I decided to post it in this thread instead of the bitching one.

I guess I'll replace the polycarbonate with a clear one since I happen to have a piece I can cut to the right size.

[Archangel]

I saw this Freddie Mercury looking dude walking up the street today and as soon as i made the connection Queen started playing.

[Animeniax]

Saw the Energy RC-Micro 5.1 speaker set on Amazon's Gold Box deals for $300 yesterday. I checked later that day and it had dropped to $250 so I ordered a set. Today they're back up to $350.

[Xelbair]

I've been sailing for the first time in my life yesterday and today - my parents bought this boat few weeks ago(well it is a small yacht - 6,6m long)

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crappy photos are crappy because i couldn't see what i was photographing most of the time due to sun + they were made by cellphone.

[Buffalobiian]

I'm mildly surprised to see green trees, blue waters and a clear-ish sky.

I always had this impression that Poland had lots of Gothic buildings that are enshrouded by blizzards, rain or cloudy skies.

[Xelbair]

not really, it dosen't rain that much. blizzards are rare - and with clouds its like everywhere else - it varies.
gothic buildings? seriously? nearly none - old city of Gdańsk looks cool but it is not gothic(except few churches)
you can obviously find tons of PRL era buildings(made while under occupation of USSR/CCCP/ZSRR whatever you call it)

few examples of such buidlings
PGR - stands for Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne(State Agricultural Farm)
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those are a relict of old times, used by the poor people.

In cities you can sometimes find such marvel of communist civil engineering:
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those were very cheaply done, and they were erected really, really fast - but they look ugly, and have tons of problems with installations in it.

cities in Poland aren't that 'high', but they spread far and wide and are full of greenery(now there are 2 more high buildings in this area)
Wrzeszcz1.jpg

That big grey godawful buildings were renovated
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Old city of Gdansk
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i can't find a good photo that shows the greenery in cities -but go check google street view and follow main roads(Grunwaldzka, Legionów/Rzeczypospolitej for example) in Gdańsk.

Polish countryside is full of lush forests - check Bory Tucholskie - national park close to Gdańsk.

Generally northern poland is full of hills and forests, while central poland is nearly flat with fields and forests... and southern Poland gets higher and higher up to the mountains that make the border between Poland and Czech and Slovakia

[Assertn]

Locked in some crazy gains on a new stock I've been following.


Shot up from $4/share to $7/share recently, though I expect it to drop down for a while until they eventually explode into something huge. Just think... need a new kidney? Why not print one?

[Sapphire]

Awwwwweeee yeah!!!!

I'm in hall h 5th row in comic-con, basically the craziest room to get into. People were waiting since 4 PM yesterday to get in. Getting to the end of the line was a 20 minute walk. Going to see panels w the cast of Supernatural, Breaking Bad, Doctor Who, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community, and Sons of Anarchy.

[enkoujin]

Woohoo!

I was awarded an oil and gas scholarship that'll pay for this year's tuition and textbooks.

But now I feel like a total sellout to the environment.

[Animeniax]

Take them down from the inside by going to work and doing a real half-assed job.

But congrats. Plus maybe you can develop a process to more cleanly extract the precious precious fuel from the earth, making a positive contribution to the world and saving your soul at the same time.

[Ryllharu]

I currently drive an economy box. It is an inline-4 with under 110 hp. It's top speed is below 100 mph, downhill.

It has two redeeming features:
- A stickshift which I know how to use quite effectively.
- I'm also told the headlights match the cop cars around here in terms of distance apart and general shape.

Today on my way home, I'm following a Porche targa on the back roads leading up to the highway. He's going 45 mph (72 kph) now, when previously I had been following him going 60 mph (96 kph). So in a legal passing zone...I do so, because I like to go 60 mph on this particular road. Older man and his wife. Unsurprisingly, I hurt his pride. We both get on the highway, and I gun my car as best it can (which isn't very). He zips past me immediately after the offramp, probably going 85 mph (136 kph).

I pass him a few miles later when he gets stuck behind another car. I give him a thumbs up as I pass.

[Animeniax]

I think that kind of pride is foolish... "Oh I drive a sports car, I have to drive it hard and fast because that's what people expect." A better form of pride which I subscribe to when driving is to know you have the ability but refrain from demonstrating it all the time.

In your situation though, I think it had more to do with him thinking you were a cop car so he slowed down, then getting pissed when he realized he slowed down for no reason. I fucking hate those cop-looking cars, especially the ones that were bought at auction and still look very much like police cars.