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Questions that you always wanted to ask but were afraid to ask (Page 12)
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andi*pandi
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Aug 1, 2018, 10:00 AM
 
It's much easier to understand aloud.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Aug 1, 2018, 12:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by mindwaves View Post
Totally wrong analogy here.
I disagree entirely.

The basic content of Shakespeare's plays is often fairly generic, and has been told and re-told in thousands of ways and forms over the millennia.

If you "translate" the plays from their form into something easily readable in the Trump Era, you destroy the form and the language, which is the whole point of having them in the first place. The beauty is in the form, with its innuendo and puns and comic relief.

Polonius be like, "And above all: Be yourself. YOLO."

Or, less facetiously, compare:

MERCUTIO
Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch. Marry, ’tis enough.
Where is my page?—Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.
MERCUTIO
Yes, yes. It’s a scratch, just a scratch. But it’s enough. Where is my page? Go, boy. Get me a doctor.

ROMEO
Courage, man. The hurt cannot be much.
ROMEO
Have courage, man. The wound can’t be that bad.

MERCUTIO
No, ’tis not so deep as a well nor so wide as a church-door, but ’tis enough, ’twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o' both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rogue, a villain that fights by the book of arithmetic! Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.
MERCUTIO
No, it’s not as deep as a well, or as wide as a church door, but it’s enough. It’ll do the job. Ask for me tomorrow, and you’ll find me in a grave. I’m done for in this world, I believe. May a plague strike both your houses. Goddammit! I can’t believe that dog, that rat, that mouse, that cat could scratch me to death! That braggart, punk villain who fights like he learned swordsmanship from a manual! Why the hell did you come in between us? He struck me from under your arm.

ROMEO
I thought all for the best.
ROMEO
I thought it was the right thing to do.


Just…sheesh. No.


Or


O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

vs.
Oh, Romeo, Romeo, why do you have to be Romeo? Forget about your father and change your name. Or else, if you won’t change your name, just swear you love me and I’ll stop being a Capulet.


Come on!

     
Spheric Harlot
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Aug 1, 2018, 12:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
It's much easier to understand aloud.
Pure beauty read aloud, even if you don't get all the double entendres or miss some of the vocab.
     
mindwaves  (op)
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Aug 1, 2018, 10:49 PM
 
I agree with you here about losing all of the nuances and the form of the language when translating into modern English, but disagree that the Snapchat filter example was a proper analogy.
     
subego
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Aug 4, 2018, 04:46 AM
 
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
Pure beauty read aloud, even if you don't get all the double entendres or miss some of the vocab.
More importantly though, someone can get through several performances in the time it takes to do a cold read.

In other words, they can (relatively speaking) become an expert on the story and characters without cracking the book, and once they do crack the book, they can concentrate on it as literature.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Aug 4, 2018, 06:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by mindwaves View Post
I agree with you here about losing all of the nuances and the form of the language when translating into modern English, but disagree that the Snapchat filter example was a proper analogy.
The actual analogy was translating the Mona Lisa into anime, which is a visual art style much more widely used and appreciated today than oil paintings, it would seem. And it is utterly castrated in terms of nuance and every quality that makes oil paintings valuable to us.

The Snapchat thing was just a facetious dig that implied modern distribution methods.
     
mindwaves  (op)
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Aug 17, 2018, 09:41 PM
 
Do you think eating with your hands is more intimate and gets you more in touch (literally) with your food?

Indians (as in India) claim it is a better connection to your food, but I have to disagree.
( Last edited by mindwaves; Aug 18, 2018 at 03:40 AM. )
     
ankle_brains
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Aug 19, 2018, 05:01 PM
 
Why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?
     
subego
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Nov 1, 2018, 01:05 PM
 
What’s with the banned users who keep coming back with their banned accounts?

Bots stuck in a loop? Livin’ it up at the Hotel MacNN?
     
subego
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Nov 1, 2018, 06:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV View Post
If the seal was shaped right the pressure of the vacuum cold bend it to compress the material closed. I don't know if thats how these are done. It could be that the tube walls provides enough pressure to close a puncture if the material was a little spongy.
Got phlebottled today, and the tech said the vacuum closes it.

The stoppers are spongy, pretty thick, and the tech added the needle on the tube side is very narrow. Makes sense the vacuum could suck that closed.
     
subego
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Nov 2, 2018, 07:02 AM
 
Originally Posted by mindwaves View Post
Do you think eating with your hands is more intimate and gets you more in touch (literally) with your food?

Indians (as in India) claim it is a better connection to your food, but I have to disagree.
I’m not connected to the spaghetti carbonara if I can’t get it into my mouth because I don’t have a utensil.
     
mindwaves  (op)
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Nov 6, 2018, 09:32 PM
 
Is making a Genius Bar appointment really that difficult? I tried booking online but every slot is full for the next week. How can I get my phone (my friend's phone) fixed? I would prefer not to go to an authorized repair center (they also seem to be fully booked). Can I just walk into an Apple Store and see a "Genius" right away?

edit: I searched online and they do walk-ins, but may have to wait.
     
subego
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Nov 6, 2018, 10:09 PM
 
There are appointments available here tomorrow, but Chicago has 3 Apple stores.
     
ghporter
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Nov 10, 2018, 06:19 PM
 
The Genius Bar is extremely popular with people who can’t use “Help” functions, people who “thought it was supposed to..” and so on. So yes, it really is that difficult to get an appointment. When I had a battery swelling problem with my iPhone, I HAD TO select an authorized service provider, and the only one that ha any openings was a Best Buy farther away than the closest Apple Store. It was also more time consuming to get the phone replaced, because Best Buy had to go through an extra layer of testing...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
ort888
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Nov 12, 2018, 12:02 PM
 
I think they book appointments, but leave lots of slots open for walk-ins, since most people walk in.

Try just walking in.

My sig is 1 pixel too big.
     
Doc HM
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Nov 12, 2018, 01:57 PM
 
Originally Posted by ort888 View Post
Try just walking in.
Try just walking in... but early as they have a set number of walk ins per day and they have usually used them all up by lunchtime.
This space for Hire! Reasonable rates. Reach an audience of literally dozens!
     
mindwaves  (op)
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Nov 12, 2018, 09:26 PM
 
I've watched a bunch of British TV shows on youtube recently and it seems that the present/past/present continuous form of the verb "sit" is "sat?"

As in, "I've been sat in this seat for an hour," "I'm sat down."
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 13, 2018, 06:07 AM
 
Obviously, it’s a colloquialism, but I could imagine that this has to do with the fact that “to sit” actually has two meanings: the act of sitting down and the act of actually remaining seated.

“Sat down” indicates that somebody has gone through the process of sitting down and is in the state “sat-down”— as opposed to, say, “propped up” or “leaned against”.
     
mindwaves  (op)
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Apr 7, 2019, 12:17 PM
 
Why is UPS shipping so inferior to Amazon's?

Amazon has a new shipping service (ok, not really new but recent) that delivers packages to your house. You can get a real estimate of when it will arrive (e.g., before 12:45pm instead of "end of the day") and you can track where the delivery van is around your house so you can meet the driver and receive the package by hand (especially when it is important and having the package being left by your door).

I have a package shipped by Adorama via UPS and I just get "end of day" and there will be no tracking the delivery van. It should be very easy for UPS to do so, just install a GPS in all of their vans.
     
ghporter
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Apr 7, 2019, 03:59 PM
 
Originally Posted by mindwaves View Post
Why is UPS shipping so inferior to Amazon's?

Amazon has a new shipping service (ok, not really new but recent) that delivers packages to your house. You can get a real estimate of when it will arrive (e.g., before 12:45pm instead of "end of the day") and you can track where the delivery van is around your house so you can meet the driver and receive the package by hand (especially when it is important and having the package being left by your door).

I have a package shipped by Adorama via UPS and I just get "end of day" and there will be no tracking the delivery van. It should be very easy for UPS to do so, just install a GPS in all of their vans.
I think Amazon's shipping is much more locally managed than UPS's. Stuff gets to an Amazon distribution center, and it's that center's responsibility to get it delivered.

I also think that Amazon delivery is pretty much 100% delivery customer centered, rather than corporate shipper centered, which makes a big difference. I don't think there will ever be an instance of an Amazon delivery person tossing a flat screen TV over somebody's fence and running back to the truck.....

Amazon is not without issues, but they're far more responsive to customer feedback. I had a shipment simply disappear. It went from "out for delivery" to "oops, there's a problem," and eventually I had to directly contact Amazon customer service. They credited me the purchase price and I reordered - and Amazon CS was apparently watching the whole process very closely. The replacement order was delivered WAY faster than typical for Prime orders, and their site updated everything much more frequently than I'd seen before.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
subego
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Apr 7, 2019, 05:20 PM
 
Amazon local delivery seems kinda sketchy here. Like they threw it together with some bailing wire and spit.

A lot of their delivery vans are rentals, and I get a “temp job” vibe from the drivers.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Apr 8, 2019, 05:02 AM
 
There's been considerable press lately here in Germany concerning delivery services.

While the services themselves do pay minimal wage, many of those delivery guys are actually freelance drivers working for sub-contracters of the contract delivery services employed by the companies themselves.

GLS drivers, for example, end up making way less than minimal wage and have about 90 seconds per package. They also pay for anything that gets lost or goes wrong out of their own pocket.

It's a pretty horrific industry, and an inevitable consequence of the online shopping boom.
As far as I can see, we're moving towards some minimal regulation, at least, and following the media coverage, DHL has announced that they're cutting out the sub-sub-subcontractors and re-hiring more drivers directly.

There is no such thing as "free" shipping.

Somebody ALWAYS ends up paying for it.
     
subego
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Sep 14, 2019, 02:57 PM
 
How do they decide whether it’s no outlet or a dead end?
     
Laminar
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Sep 16, 2019, 08:30 AM
 
Two thoughts:
1. "Dead end" is a superficially morbid or harsh phrase. "No outlet" seems softer.
2. "No Outlet" could tell you that although you can see turnoffs and other roads after the one you're about to go down, none of them leave the neighborhood and you have to exit back out this same road. "Dead End" is for the last block that doesn't go anywhere.

My favorite is "Not a Through Street," which means this street will definitely get you through, but we're rich and don't want you driving on it.
     
ghporter
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Sep 17, 2019, 03:47 PM
 
I’ve seen “no outlet” streets with several “dead end” side streets. Yes, there are places to turn off of this street. No, you can’t get out of the neighborhood that way.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
subego
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Sep 17, 2019, 03:54 PM
 
What prompted the question was one street was a no outlet, and then the next one over was a dead end. Both end at a river.

AFAICT, they’re the essentially the same. The no outlet has an REI next to it, while the dead end has a paint factory, so it may be option 1.
     
andi*pandi
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Sep 17, 2019, 04:18 PM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
My favorite is "Not a Through Street," which means this street will definitely get you through, but we're rich and don't want you driving on it.
excellent breakdown.
     
Laminar
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Sep 18, 2019, 11:16 AM
 


That's one that I see sometimes. There's a similar sign on the other end of the neighborhood, and those signs were enough to keep Google Street View out. I've wondered if the police have traffic-enforcement jurisdiction on a "Private Drive," and the answer appears to be a firm probably.
     
Thorzdad
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Sep 18, 2019, 11:32 AM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
[I've wondered if the police have traffic-enforcement jurisdiction on a "Private Drive," and the answer appears to be a firm probably.
I'm curious as to whether the neighborhood residents/HOA pay for road maintenance, pothole repair, repaving, etc. or are all taxpayers footing the bill for upkeep on this private drive?
     
subego
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Sep 18, 2019, 11:58 AM
 
Cursory Google brings up a story where the developer of a gated community went under before they could finish the roads. The residents went to the County for relief, and the County told them to go pound dirt.

The article also noted private streets aren’t necessarily up to municipal spec.

https://independentamericancommuniti...private-roads/
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Sep 20, 2019, 10:08 AM
 
Originally Posted by Thorzdad View Post
I'm curious as to whether the neighborhood residents/HOA pay for road maintenance, pothole repair, repaving, etc. or are all taxpayers footing the bill for upkeep on this private drive?
I live in a condo assoc, we pay for the roads ourselves.
     
subego
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Sep 21, 2019, 07:43 PM
 
I’ve heard multiple people deride drugstore reading glasses. They seem fine to me. Am I missing something?
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Sep 21, 2019, 07:53 PM
 
That reminds me I need to order some better reading glasses. The drug store ones are a bit cloudy. I think its the plastic vs glass. They're not bad when reading a book but not for anything else.
     
andi*pandi
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Sep 21, 2019, 09:39 PM
 
I use a lot of drug store glasses (actually job lot glasses, which are drugstore glasses in unpopular colors) because I lose them and they break. I use RX glasses at work and can tell the difference.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Sep 22, 2019, 08:03 AM
 
The quality of optical glass makes a HUGE difference in day-to-day use.

How it refracts especially at angles can be the difference between relaxed viewing and splitting headache. Same with proper axis alignment.
     
ghporter
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Sep 22, 2019, 10:10 AM
 
Originally Posted by Thorzdad View Post
I'm curious as to whether the neighborhood residents/HOA pay for road maintenance, pothole repair, repaving, etc. or are all taxpayers footing the bill for upkeep on this private drive?
My neighborhood is gated with "private roads." We pay for road upkeep. And street light power. And oh by the way, those pesky, failure-prone powered gates (which sometimes get trashed by trashed drivers crashing into/through them). Gates are expensive to run and maintain, and they do almost zero to prevent crime in the neighborhood, but they sure do cause issues.

Originally Posted by subego View Post
I’ve heard multiple people deride drugstore reading glasses. They seem fine to me. Am I missing something?
If they provide the correction you need, there should be no real issue. Most drug store reading glasses displays provide a fairly accurate means of testing the correction you need, too.

My "issued" readers (from a VA optometrist, way back in 2006) broke after about a year. I've used Walmart-sourced and grocery store-sourced readers since then. I keep a pair of these with me when I'm not home (where I have readers stashed in several different rooms). They work like Pince-nez glasses, but they stay put. And the metal "credit card" style case is surprisingly easy to tote around. (NO, I don't get any benefit from shilling for these.)

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
subego
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Sep 22, 2019, 12:21 PM
 
Thanks for the replies!

Upon reflection, I’d say the cheapo pair I’ve settled on are harsh and fatiguing.

They’re plenty sharp, though. On that front, there doesn’t seem to be much room left for improvement.
     
ghporter
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Sep 22, 2019, 03:01 PM
 
You could be over-correcting. A little too much adds to eye fatigue, which can come across as a harsh feeling as well.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
subego
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Sep 22, 2019, 03:49 PM
 
With my experimentation, all changing the amount of correction does is move the band of what’s in focus closer or farther.

None really cover everything I need. I’ve settled on +1.5, which is what my eye doctor said I should get.
     
andi*pandi
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Sep 22, 2019, 03:52 PM
 
my dr insists my rx didnt change from 2.0, but I find the 2.0 cheapies too weak and get 2.5.
     
subego
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Sep 22, 2019, 04:00 PM
 
I have another question...

WTF is this in my backyard?



Groundhog?
     
andi*pandi
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Sep 22, 2019, 04:10 PM
 
aka woodchuck. he seems annoyed there is no wood to chuck.
     
subego
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Sep 22, 2019, 06:12 PM
 
He’s actually annoyed with me.

I went “hellooooooo” to get his attention, and he stopped chucking to give me the side-eye.
     
Thorzdad
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Sep 22, 2019, 06:26 PM
 
Groundhogs are delicious.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Sep 23, 2019, 01:41 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
With my experimentation, all changing the amount of correction does is move the band of what’s in focus closer or farther.

None really cover everything I need. I’ve settled on +1.5, which is what my eye doctor said I should get.
I don’t wear reading glasses yet (I’m shortsighted, so it’s enough presently to just take off my regula glasses to read up close), but isn’t astigmatism a thing with reading glasses as well? Focal length is just half the equation.
     
subego
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Sep 23, 2019, 09:05 AM
 
It is, but thankfully I don’t have it.

Well, slight case in one eye.
     
subego
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Sep 24, 2019, 12:17 AM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
my dr insists my rx didnt change from 2.0, but I find the 2.0 cheapies too weak and get 2.5.
My cheapies are in focus from about 10 inches away to a few inches inside my full reach, which seems about right.

Reading glasses have suddenly become “mission critical” for me, which is why I’m about the cheapies for the time being. I needed to get a ton and stash them all over the place like they were acorns.

Luckily, at this point, I don’t need to use them much.
     
subego
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Dec 7, 2019, 04:33 PM
 
What’s a “travelerd”?

     
andi*pandi
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Dec 9, 2019, 11:43 AM
 
presumably the company makes traveler A, traveler b, traveler C?
     
subego
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Feb 13, 2020, 02:07 PM
 
How do spammers even find this place?
     
 
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