[andi*pandi]

google > phpbb = profit

[subego]

I’m shocked we still have Google juice.

[...deleted...]

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by And.reg 

Why do I keep spilling dark balsamic vinegar on me when I'm wearing a bright blue shirt?

No idea. But if you can invent a blue vinegar the right shade, maybe you won't be able to see it if you spill.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/crystalro/b...e=bfocompareon

[subego]

Do you ever use a pre-flavored potato chip with dip?

[Laminar]

Not quite potato, but Tostitos "Hint of Lime" tortilla chips are fantastic with salsa or guac.

[subego]

Those are pretty good straight, too.

In fact, my number one pick next to freshly made.

Lime dust is best dust.

[Laminar]

Anyone else try Popcorners?

[subego]

I’ve had Skinny Pop cakes, which look similar.

Far better than rice cakes.

[andi*pandi]

We quite like popcorners. Kettle and cheese.

[Laminar]

Kettle are great. I try and divert the cheddar ones to the 2 year old so the rest of us don't have to suffer through them. But I don't like cheese powder. Give me Doritos or nothing. No in between.

[andi*pandi]

We get the costco variety pack. The plain/salt ones are too close to styrofoam for me, but husband likes them. I can deal with cheese powder but prefer the kettle. Kids would eat doritos every day all day long.

[...deleted...]

[andi*pandi]

Use the sears catalog like your grandparents did.

[Thorzdad]

This is 2020. You'll have to use the Ikea catalog instead.

[ghporter]

I see a new purpose to receiving a daily newspaper... As long as you skip the glossy ads, anyway. ;D

[...deleted...]

[reader50]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

I see a new purpose to receiving a daily newspaper... As long as you skip the glossy ads, anyway. ;D

Just checked two nearby papers. They're not drumming up paper subs yet. To not only support local news, but also personal insurance. A small paper supply delivered daily to your door.

This is how papers lost their Classified revenue to eBay and Craigslist. They were too slow, and the market was gone before they reacted. COVID-19 is the perfect opportunity to sell new print subscriptions, with generous discounts for an annual sub. Neither local paper seems to have thought of it. Just checked the LA Times, and they aren't talking up that angle either.

Edit: closest result, an Aussie paper printed 8 blank extra pages, as essential supplies. The editor claims though that it was not a crappy edition. But even they aren't drumming up the subscription angle.

[mindwaves]

Not a question but a statement. I have a snoring problem and it has affected my quality of life. Feel tired during the day. Been taping my mouth shut at night the last two plus weeks and I can say from day one, that I’ve felt a lot better. A lot less tired during the day. First night I got one more hour of sleep also. Two weeks on, I still get about the same amount of sleep before mouth tape but I get a better quality sleep.

Advice is to use breathable tape and for someone to monitor you when you sleep for the first two days to see if breathing only through your nose is ok. Maybe record your sleep habits before and after.

[subego]

Have you had a sleep study? You may have sleep apnea.

[mindwaves]

Never had a sleep study done before. Maybe I do have sleep apnea, but I'm ok doing what I do currently.

[Doc HM]

So, I'm teaching part time now and at the end of each lesson I dismiss my students, who then file out in an orderly manner when given permission to do so, and believe me I do not teach high achieving academic students. On pretty much every TV show featuring an American highs cool or even college class when the bell rings ALL the students simply run for the door at maximum speed while the poor teacher fights to give out homework etc.
Is this (what appears to be) incredibly undisciplined and rude behaviour actually how real US schools operate or is this just "TV real"?

[ghporter]

In part it’s drama. Otherwise it’s poor time management on the teacher’s part.

As an instructor at the community college level, I was regularly evaluated on my time management (among tons of other things). And as a therapist, I have a specific, fairly rigid amount of time with each patient, so my experience is “getting the lesson done on time without letting questions and distractions screw it up” helps with that.

And as a high school student, I (dimly - it’s been quite a while) recall my teachers insisting on every student’s attention all the way up to the bell. So from a practical perspective, I’d say all those TV shows used the same level of “reality” as those that always paint “dad” as an idiot.

[Thorzdad]

My experience way back when I was in high school was more that classes were short in length, so the teacher was always crammed for time to fit even the thinnest lesson in, so they were always running up against the bell. Then, your next class might be way on the other side of the building, which, if your school was large (as my school was), meant you sometimes had to run to make it into the next class on time (especially if you needed to hit your locker on the way) And, some teachers were real dicks about it and would close the classroom door right as the pass period ended, and penalized anyone who dared come through 5 seconds later.

[subego]

We had no bell, but every room had a clock, and we all knew what time class ended.

No one ever left until we were dismissed, but the vibe in the room always changed at about 5 minutes before the end. The teacher couldn’t really do much with that time other than hand out homework.

My school had had 50 minute periods instead of 40, but you only had each class 4 times a week.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by Doc HM 

So, I'm teaching part time now and at the end of each lesson I dismiss my students, who then file out in an orderly manner when given permission to do so, and believe me I do not teach high achieving academic students. On pretty much every TV show featuring an American highs cool or even college class when the bell rings ALL the students simply run for the door at maximum speed while the poor teacher fights to give out homework etc.
Is this (what appears to be) incredibly undisciplined and rude behaviour actually how real US schools operate or is this just "TV real"?

The bell is for me, not for you!

[Doc HM]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

In part it’s drama. Otherwise it’s poor time management on the teacher’s part.

As an instructor at the community college level, I was regularly evaluated on my time management (among tons of other things).

Tell me about it. I get evaluated, inspected, observed, learning walked, my evaluations are evaluated. I have to submit reflections, which are evaluated. I need to show I am practising inclusivity (which is a good thing), diversity, British Values, work skills, character building, robust checks on earning, mentoring, provide evidence of planning then evidence of the effectiveness of the planning. Marking, IVing other lecturers marking, setting assignments, IVing other lecturers assignments.

Somewhere in there I also have to teach.

[subego]

Didn’t we learn from early computing that white text on a black background is eye fatiguing?

So, why is dark mode such a big deal?

Don’t get me wrong, I like it, just not able to reconcile these two.

[Thorzdad]

Beats me. I can’t stand white on black text. It vibrates and gives me a headache. That said, staring at a bright white screen is pretty much like staring at a lightbulb. So

[andi*pandi]

1) eye fatigue,
2) battery life
3) not keeping other people up with bright screens
4) messing with html email developers heads (apple: Hey, there's a standard query to follow. Microsoft: nah, here's this thing I'll support but only for color.)

[subego]

All good answers!

Wasn’t thinking battery life with OLED.

[mindwaves]

With this virus issue afoot, people can't make their rent payments. It is weird why people cannot make their rent payment once they lose their jobs. Everyone should have at least 2 months (more like 6 months) emergency fund.

Sure most of these people are low income people, but everyone should have savings. I was born and raised in a poor city in California and witnessed even poor families buying the latest Nikes and having the latest Nintendo 64. Nowadays, the same people have the latest iPhones. Hopefully people should realize that not have the greenest grass is not important. Being safe and sound (financially also) is more important.

[subego]

I’m not really sure what the question is, beyond “is it weird”.

What do you mean by “weird”?

[Doc HM]

Originally Posted by mindwaves 

With this virus issue afoot, people can't make their rent payments. It is weird why people cannot make their rent payment once they lose their jobs.

Sure most of these people are low income people

Yes...weird. Minimum wage, zero hour contracts, hire and fire, rising rental costs. Surely anyone should be able to safe at least six months salary. Aren't the poor a feckless bunch of wasters!

[andi*pandi]

I make a decent living but do not have 6 months savings (unless I dip into 401k). The lower and middle classes have suffered in the last 30 years, comparing salary increases to cost of living increases. What I make now seemed like richness as a kid. It is not, after mortgage, car, bills, etc.

I have also learned not to judge. That person with the fancy sneakers? Could be knockoffs? That person in the projects driving a newer car than you? Probably a lease. That person with the latest iphone? might be their only internet access (no cable or home computer). Poor people are also allowed to have some creature comforts, and we don't know how they spend the rest of their money.

tl/dr; Don't judge a book by its cover.

[Laminar]

If my wife and I both lost our income and we stripped our spending to the basics (but still sent the kid to day care so that we could job hunt), we'd be okay for about 5 months. If only one of us lost a job, We could hold out much longer. I recognize that this position is both due to our diligence in savings but also being fortunate enough to be in a position where savings is possible. I don't envy those that are dealing with the stress and uncertainty of job loss right now.

[subego]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

I have also learned not to judge.

I’m not religious, but in terms of why it’s best not to judge is expressed well as “there but for the grace of god go you and I”.

Someone who can’t afford $500 sneakers yet buys them anyways has reasons for doing it. Those who don’t are blessed not to have those reasons.

[reader50]

I have absolutely no use for $500 sneakers. And I like sneakers.

You can buy a 16 TB drive for $400 + tax. A 65" 4K TV for $450 + tax.

[subego]

I actually don’t own a single pair. I’ve got flip-flops, and boots. No in between except for a couple pairs of dress shoes.

One of those pairs are Docs, so sorta like boots.



Edit: I guess the last pair of boots I picked up was $250.

[Spheric Harlot]

Another question: what is the point of defining a legal minimum wage if the minimum isn’t defined as a full-time job salary you can actually live off?

[subego]

I’m not sure how rhetorical this question is.

The literalist answer is so people don’t get paid even less than the already subpar minimum.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by subego 

I’m not sure how rhetorical this question is.

The literalist answer is so people don’t get paid even less than the already subpar minimum.

That doesn't answer the question, because that's not a "point". That's a consequence, but as a purpose, it has no more meaning than "to have something to fill the paper".

[subego]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

That doesn't answer the question, because that's not a "point". That's a consequence, but as a purpose, it has no more meaning than "to have something to fill the paper".

Maybe I’m looking at this wrong, or confused, or both, but I see things as...

Problem A) Employers don’t pay the bottom end of the workforce enough.
Problem B) Employers don’t pay the bottom end of the workforce enough to live on.

A is a subset of B. Minimum wage can have the point of solving A but not B.

[andi*pandi]

There is also the perception that those working minimum wage, don't really NEED to make a living. They're just teens flipping burgers after school, right? or retirees working at Walmart because they like the people?

Then you wonder why walmart hands out food stamp applications with their new hire orientation packet.

[subego]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

There is also the perception that those working minimum wage, don't really NEED to make a living. They're just teens flipping burgers after school, right? or retirees working at Walmart because they like the people?

Then you wonder why walmart hands out food stamp applications with their new hire orientation packet.

Well, things get sticky here because what defines “how much I need to make a living” is “how much suffering I’m willing to endure”.

Case in point are people who undertake the risky proposition of illegally comIng to America to get paid less than minimum wage, and still manage to send money home.

To be clear, I’m not arguing Americans should have to suffer to that extent, I’m just saying that when the variable everything hinges on is “the willingness of an individual to suffer”, things get complicated.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by subego 

Maybe I’m looking at this wrong, or confused, or both, but I see things as...

Problem A) Employers don’t pay the bottom end of the workforce enough.

That's an undefined value.

If the point of working is to be able to live (and I'm proposing that, by and large, it is, barring the exceptions mentioned by Andi), then not being able to live off full-time employment drives the whole concept ad absurdum.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by subego 

Well, things get sticky here because what defines “how much I need to make a living” is “how much suffering I’m willing to endure”.

Case in point are people who undertake the risky proposition of illegally comIng to America to get paid less than minimum wage, and still manage to send money home.

To be clear, I’m not arguing Americans should have to suffer to that extent, I’m just saying that when the variable everything hinges on is “the willingness of an individual to suffer”, things get complicated.

Okay, there's an official, established metric for this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Povert...#United_States

Still a difficulty in establishing how this should be figured for families.

[Doc HM]

Hence the difference between the minimum wage and the living wage. In the UK these two are entirely different. Also, somewhat confused after the UK government rebranded the minimum wage as the living wage in a deliberate attempt to obscure the issues at hand.

Also confusing is the way the benefit system is actively set to reward companies that pay workers less than the living wage. So companies are incentivised to employ workers who work less than 17 hours a week by not having to pay their National Insurance (deductibles I guess to you lot) AND the benefits system tops up wages. It basically amounts to large amounts of corporate welfare.

Our society of plenty is firmly based on the things we want not costing any where near the price they actually extract. and that s before factoring in the poverty traps that the system creates.

If you work full time, in ANY job, it should pay enough for you to not need to access the benefits system. The system shouldn't be there to support low pay but to help the jobless.

[Spheric Harlot]

Exactly.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

That's an undefined value.

It’s no more undefined than the minimum one can live on, which is just a number someone picks.

A number which will can’t possibly apply equally to the whole country.

If the minimum wage is less than needed to live on, and hence makes the concept ad absurdam, then it should just be abolished, no?



Edit: to put it another way, if I need three apples, one or two apples is better than no apples, correct?