2D8HP's extended mea culpa and Random Banter #218 [Archive] - Page 5

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-03, 10:25 PM

I'm such an idiot that I not only didn't know desserts required suet, I couldn't even name any deserts WITH suet!

I was told that "pudding" meant "dessert, regardless of what the actual dish is" earlier, in this very thread. Of course, somehow both you and they are right and I am inherently wrong about everything purely because of geopolitical location{.}

Pudding means desert. I'm actually referring to suet puddings, a baked dish that uses suet pastry and may be savoury (as in steak and kidney puddings) or sweet (as in sticky toffee pudding), and ideally stodgy. Most people here will just shorten that to pudding, with other types of pudding being referred with qualifiers, such as Yorkshire Pudding, black pudding, or custard. Yes, that does mean you have to work out if somebody means desert or suet pudding based on context, it's normally easy.

Plus one of our classic deserts sounds like a disease of the nether reasons, I'm not sure why I'm acting so high and mighty.

enderlord99

2018-08-03, 10:30 PM

I'm not sure why I'm acting so high and mighty.

Could it perhaps be because we spell and define things differently than you, and you subconsciously believe "differently" automatically means "worse" even though you know it really doesn't?

LaZodiac

2018-08-03, 11:21 PM

Could it perhaps be because we spell and define things differently than you, and you subconsciously believe "differently" automatically means "worse" even though you know it really doesn't?

Naw, it's because of the subject matter. It's impossible to talk about the subtle differences in food without sounding like a doorknob. Even if you don't intend it at all.

enderlord99

2018-08-04, 12:00 AM

Naw, it's because of the subject matter. It's impossible to talk about the subtle differences in food without sounding like a doorknob. Even if you don't intend it at all.

We're not talking about differences in food. We're talking about differences in language.

LaZodiac

2018-08-04, 02:03 AM

We're not talking about differences in food. We're talking about differences in language.

You're discussing the differences in language as it pertains to food.

Teddy

2018-08-04, 03:34 AM

I had maple ice cream for the first time last week. It was delicious on its own, but my immediate reaction was “this would be incredible with pancakes.” Is pancakes and ice cream a thing? I feel like it should be.

Pancakes can be an ice-cream thing, but that pushes it a bit too far into dessert territory to serve as a proper meal. Also, ice-cream isn't exactly spreadable before it melts

Huh. I’ve had crepes a couple of times, but I had no idea actual pancakes were just an American thing. Interesting. You poor savages.

No, the American thing is to invent heresy and then appropriate a European name for it. Soda sponge is not worthy of the name "pancake". http://i.imgur.com/FZ6yI9l.png

Like blueberries (ok, technically not invented, but still). We have perfectly fine blueberries distributed over most of Europe and named "blueberries" since the beginning of time. Then American settlers found a bush of watered down sugar which just happened to be blue and decided to call it blueberries as well, probably as some kind of reminder of home. Cut forward a pair of centuries and suddenly we have America trying to convince the rest of the world that blueberries are an American thing and the European blueberries are named something different instead. http://i.imgur.com/aPNEHAS.png
http://i.imgur.com/FZ6yI9l.png

Could it perhaps be because we spell and define things differently than you, and you subconsciously believe "differently" automatically means "worse" even though you know it really doesn't?

Calm down, Ender. There is a wide stretch of land between light-hearted pan-Atlantic ribbing and genuine disparage of the others' culture, and we have not crossed it yet.

Thufir

2018-08-04, 06:03 AM

Pudding means desert.

I mean, I suppose assorted puddings might be welcomed by someone in a desert, but they're hardly inextricaby linked. In fact I would say with absolute confidence that the vast majority of puddings are not eaten in deserts.

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-04, 06:43 AM

I mean, I suppose assorted puddings might be welcomed by someone in a desert, but they're hardly inextricaby linked. In fact I would say with absolute confidence that the vast majority of puddings are not eaten in deserts.

:smallsigh: pudding (course) versus pudding (dish). Two different uses of the word, both consisted correct by the OED.

factotum

2018-08-04, 07:13 AM

I do wonder how its usage to mean "dessert" developed, though, considering the word originally meant a kind of sausage! Guessing it must have happened largely after the 17th century or else the USAians would have the same usage, and they obviously don't.

Thufir

2018-08-04, 07:23 AM

:smallsigh: pudding (course) versus pudding (dish). Two different uses of the word, both consisted correct by the OED.

Sure, but neither has anything to do with a desert. I mean, we don't even have deserts in the UK, it's entirely the wrong climate.

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-04, 07:47 AM

Sure, but neither has anything to do with a desert. I mean, we don't even have deserts in the UK, it's entirely the wrong climate.

And my pour speling makes a fool of mi once agaen.

Peelee

2018-08-04, 08:09 AM

No, the American thing is to invent heresy and then appropriate a European name for it. Soda sponge is not worthy of the name "pancake".
Look, all I'm saying is, one of them makes more sense. Pancake. Cake in a pan. Fluffy thing or super flat, unfluffy thing? Fluffy thing makes sense. That one's the pancake.

Calm down, Ender. There is a wide stretch of land between light-hearted pan-Atlantic ribbing and genuine disparage of the others' culture, and we have not crossed it yet.
Yes, but once they started calling it soccer, we did the same for solidarity, and then they went back to football and started ribbing us for saying soccer, the gloves came off.

Or, as they probably say in England, the wellymittens were baffed.

DavidSh

2018-08-04, 08:58 AM

Like blueberries (ok, technically not invented, but still). We have perfectly fine blueberries distributed over most of Europe and named "blueberries" since the beginning of time. Then American settlers found a bush of watered down sugar which just happened to be blue and decided to call it blueberries as well, probably as some kind of reminder of home. Cut forward a pair of centuries and suddenly we have America trying to convince the rest of the world that blueberries are an American thing and the European blueberries are named something different instead.

European blueberries? Are you talking about Vaccinium myrtillus? I thought the English word for them was bilberries. (And the Scots word was blaeberries.)

False friends abound, so I wouldn't take the word for them in other languages as evidence.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-04, 09:37 AM

Well, it all makes sense to me. I mean, you needed to get *someone* to take care of your new stray cat for you when you go on vacation. Also buying a neighbor is just planning ahead!I am in the state of Tennessee, so there isn't much that would surprise me here!

in all seriousness, the cat who adopted me has had her photo taken and a regular home is being sought, rather then a neighborhood.

halfeye

2018-08-04, 10:38 AM

in all seriousness, the cat who adopted me has had her photo taken and a regular home is being sought, rather then a neighborhood.

I was adopted by a cat once, it's super nice, and she was very intelligent for a cat :smallbiggrin: :smalltongue: :smallcool:. If you in any way can, it would be a very good thing to keep her yourself, obviously if you totally can't, then doing the best you can is right.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-04, 11:20 AM

I was adopted by a cat once, it's super nice, and she was very intelligent for a cat :smallbiggrin: :smalltongue: :smallcool:. If you in any way can, it would be a very good thing to keep her yourself, obviously if you totally can't, then doing the best you can is right.

I wish I could. food is one thing, but I live in an apartment that has a 450 dollar pet deposit plus 250 per month.

Then there are shots and such. I would enjoy the company, just can't afford it

Peelee

2018-08-04, 11:37 AM

I wish I could. food is one thing, but I live in an apartment that has a 450 dollar pet deposit plus 250 per month.

Then there are shots and such. I would enjoy the company, just can't afford it

Wait, per month?!? Deposits I can understand, if the pet tears anything up, but the monthly fee is ridiculous. Even moreso at $250.

I'll help you revolt, if you wanna revolt.

WarKitty

2018-08-04, 05:43 PM

Wait, per month?!? Deposits I can understand, if the pet tears anything up, but the monthly fee is ridiculous. Even moreso at $250.

I'll help you revolt, if you wanna revolt.

Yeah, I pay $25 a month for my cat. That's considered a pretty normal fee.

Peelee

2018-08-04, 07:38 PM

Yeah, I pay $25 a month for my cat. That's considered a pretty normal fee.

$25/mo makes me want to write a polite but firm letter to the management. $250/mo makes me think a torch and pitchfork are a wise investment.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-04, 10:04 PM

I tend to be passive aggressive: I am moving out when my lease3 is up. My Master, the cat, will take me to my new home and keep me for her every want and need.

good news for now, she is still around and now has revealed her name to all of in the apartment building: she is called Frankie.

WarKitty

2018-08-04, 10:15 PM

$25/mo makes me want to write a polite but firm letter to the management. $250/mo makes me think a torch and pitchfork are a wise investment.

Eh, $25/month I think is pretty fair. Pets are actually a bit more wear and tear on the unit. The little miss is very good, but I figure I'm still paying for all the cat fur she's getting in the carpet and the fact that I can never quite get this place to not smell a bit of litter.

Peelee

2018-08-05, 12:48 AM

Eh, $25/month I think is pretty fair. Pets are actually a bit more wear and tear on the unit. The little miss is very good, but I figure I'm still paying for all the cat fur she's getting in the carpet and the fact that I can never quite get this place to not smell a bit of litter.

I agree with nearly all of that. Which is what the initial pet fee is for. Then again, I can afford to be all high and mighty when I don't have to deal with renting.

In unrelated news, installing wood flooring has started to go a lot smoother. After the compete rip-off rental fee that were probably going to go over, waiting nearly all of our waste allowance trying to fix a bump that started to emerge with zero hello from the Googles because apparently there never happened to anybody in the history of installing wood flooring, and the way too long it's taking since we only have a small window after work (which is only exacerbating the extended tool rental. Which, again, was a rip off and they should feel ashamed and we should have done more research to begin with). We have made every mistake possible. And some that weren't. But going much faster and easier now.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-05, 07:50 AM

In unrelated news, installing wood flooring .. .. .. .. ..

I hope you are using a rawhide mallet to secure each row of wood. Also it will help to not damage the edges of the wood with a piece of scrap to beat the mallet upon

Peelee

2018-08-05, 08:07 AM

I hope you are using a rawhide mallet to secure each row of wood. Also it will help to not damage the edges of the wood with a piece of scrap to beat the mallet upon

Rubber. A friend already gave us a rubber hit stick (I think that's what he called it) as well. About 4/5ths done and its been great so far. I'm seriously debating finding a new image hosting site so I can share a picture of it when we're done.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-05, 08:38 AM

Rubber works great too. and hit stick is a perfect term for it.

WarKitty

2018-08-05, 10:45 AM

I agree with nearly all of that. Which is what the initial pet fee is for. Then again, I can afford to be all high and mighty when I don't have to deal with renting.

Way I see it, the extra rent is to cover additional normal wear and tear, while the pet deposit is to cover the increased risk of serious damage (scratched or chewed walls, elimination on the carpet, and so forth.) With a well trained pet you should get the deposit back.

At my place I didn't actually pay a pet deposit. The landlord said he prefers to have a per-pet fee because it also discourages people from thinking that they pet deposit covers unlimited animals.

Honest Tiefling

2018-08-05, 01:40 PM

Way I see it, the extra rent is to cover additional normal wear and tear, while the pet deposit is to cover the increased risk of serious damage (scratched or chewed walls, elimination on the carpet, and so forth.) With a well trained pet you should get the deposit back.

I had to clean a rental from a couple who had a newborn baby AND a medium sized dog. (I think it was a black lab, or black lab mix). I swear, you could have eaten off of those walls, I have no idea how they did it, but yes, a good owner can indeed get their deposit back.

Then again, I live near a city with more dogs than children, and I think a mob might form if you get a dog house. So people tend to treat them as little fur-babies.

At my place I didn't actually pay a pet deposit. The landlord said he prefers to have a per-pet fee because it also discourages people from thinking that they pet deposit covers unlimited animals.

On the one hand I feel like a deposit is more fair, on the other...I have to agree with your landlord, because some people might get a few too many animals. I mean, the cat cannot possibly cause 25 dollars of damage a month unless you are doing something VERY wrong.

I do wonder if that fee would apply to animals such as spiders and snakes, which are not exactly known for causing huge amounts of damage.

WarKitty

2018-08-05, 03:31 PM

On the one hand I feel like a deposit is more fair, on the other...I have to agree with your landlord, because some people might get a few too many animals. I mean, the cat cannot possibly cause 25 dollars of damage a month unless you are doing something VERY wrong.

I do wonder if that fee would apply to animals such as spiders and snakes, which are not exactly known for causing huge amounts of damage.

Yeah, I'm renting from a fairly small landlord rather than a big corporation. He's said he's had issues with folk who come in with a dog and pay the deposit and then they end up having 5 big dogs in a small apartment.

In my experience it's often waived for small animals, anything that pretty much stays in its cage.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-05, 07:48 PM

And I rent from a big corporation.

enderlord99

2018-08-05, 11:48 PM

I asked my father once where the dogs are, and he responded by going into a cyclical, escalating rant about how he doesn't know, how I "keep" asking where the dogs are, and how I'm "persreveredatening." He starts the rant over again, but louder and angrier, when I walked back into his room later.

Peelee

2018-08-06, 07:58 AM

enderlord99

2018-08-06, 10:43 AM

Possible explanation for some things wizards tend to do:

Spells have backlash, and that backlash can damage things. If a wizard uses a wand to cast a spell, it's because the spell would otherwise break his finger. If a wizard uses a staff to cast a spell, it's because the spell would otherwise break his arm. If you see a wizard building a tower...

LaZodiac

2018-08-06, 10:50 AM

Teddy

2018-08-06, 11:50 AM

Look, all I'm saying is, one of them makes more sense. Pancake. Cake in a pan. Fluffy thing or super flat, unfluffy thing? Fluffy thing makes sense. That one's the pancake.

If you're going down that route, maybe you should up your ante a bit and give it some real fluff instead of that poor excuse for a third dimension. http://i.imgur.com/ZRHtTJs.png

Yes, but once they started calling it soccer, we did the same for solidarity, and then they went back to football and started ribbing us for saying soccer, the gloves came off.

Or, as they probably say in England, the wellymittens were baffed.

They obviously made an experiment to see how quickly they could get you to appropriate the name for something almost, but not quite, entirely unlike football. http://i.imgur.com/FZ6yI9l.png

European blueberries? Are you talking about Vaccinium myrtillus? I thought the English word for them was bilberries. (And the Scots word was blaeberries.)

False friends abound, so I wouldn't take the word for them in other languages as evidence.

I admit my sample size is small, but the only British people I've heard have been quite surprised about them being called "bilberries".

Possible explanation for some things wizards tend to do:

Spells have backlash, and that backlash can damage things. If a wizard uses a wand to cast a spell, it's because the spell would otherwise break his finger. If a wizard uses a staff to cast a spell, it's because the spell would otherwise break his arm. If you see a wizard building a tower...

But why would they stand on top of the tower to cast, though? The top of the tower is the very last place you want to be if any section below you suddenly collapses... http://i.imgur.com/kavzNLd.png

halfeye

2018-08-06, 12:32 PM

I admit my sample size is small, but the only British people I've heard have been quite surprised about them being called "bilberries".

Blae is a scots spelling for blue.

But why would they stand on top of the tower to cast, though? The top of the tower is the very last place you want to be if any section below you suddenly collapses... http://i.imgur.com/kavzNLd.png

Except in it, or under it.

enderlord99

2018-08-06, 12:38 PM

I use the term "blueberry" for all species in the Vaccinium genus that happen to be blue, including huckleberries.

Knaight

2018-08-06, 01:16 PM

If you're going down that route, maybe you should up your ante a bit and give it some real fluff instead of that poor excuse for a third dimension.

We generally do - the absence of real fluff is generally a sign of poorly made pancakes. Which are probably the bulk of what you find abroad, given that foreign implementations of a local food from any locale and almost any foreign country (the list varies depending on the locale, immediate neighbors of small countries with a lot of shared culture are often at least decent, areas with enough immigrants are often at least decent, etc.) tend to be laughable imitations.

Jormengand

2018-08-06, 02:50 PM

I accidentally created a smiley which is too amusing not to share:

(𝄐~𝄐)

Maybe it's just me who finds this amusing, though.

LaZodiac

2018-08-06, 04:42 PM

I accidentally created a smiley which is too amusing not to share:

(𝄐~𝄐)

Maybe it's just me who finds this amusing, though.

I like this face. It's a good face.

Teddy

2018-08-06, 06:39 PM

I use the term "blueberry" for all species in the Vaccinium genus that happen to be blue, including huckleberries.

Well, if you don't care about the distinction, go ahead. I prefer to keep my lingonberries out of my blueberries; they don't go well together. http://i.imgur.com/ZRHtTJs.png

We generally do - the absence of real fluff is generally a sign of poorly made pancakes. Which are probably the bulk of what you find abroad, given that foreign implementations of a local food from any locale and almost any foreign country (the list varies depending on the locale, immediate neighbors of small countries with a lot of shared culture are often at least decent, areas with enough immigrants are often at least decent, etc.) tend to be laughable imitations.

The only place I've had American pancakes in is the USA, because I think they're bland (hence why I called them "soda sponge" earlier). That said, I was alluding to how American pancakes are still relatively thin compared to pretty much all cakes. http://i.imgur.com/ZRHtTJs.png

enderlord99

2018-08-06, 06:50 PM

Well, if you don't care about the distinction, go ahead. I prefer to keep my lingonberries out of my blueberries; they don't go well together. http://i.imgur.com/ZRHtTJs.png
Last I checked, lingonberries are red, just like cranberries. Not to the same extent, of course.

EDIT: Also, American pancakes are mostly an excuse to ingest maple syrup; they're not supposed to taste good plain. You might or might not have already known this.

Qwertystop

2018-08-06, 07:19 PM

Personally, for me, ordinary pancakes (2 milk : 2 flour : 1 egg by weight, and 1 egg : 1 tbsp sugar : 1 tbsp butter: 1 tsp baking soda by count) are something to be quick, simple, cheap, made entirely from things I've almost certainly got plenty of, and possibly garnished (fruit, syrup, jam, etc). Nothing amazing as far as taste, but they're cheap and filling. And, yes, while they're a good bit thinner than cakes made in a cake pan in the oven, they're still fluffy and half an inch thick, and cooking them taller in a smaller pan would take longer which rather ruins the point.

Matzoh-meal pancakes, now, that's a different thing entirely, those are delicious. Though that might be largely nostalgia, I think.

Teddy

2018-08-06, 07:25 PM

Last I checked, lingonberries are red, just like cranberries. Not to the same extent, of course.

Oh, I missed the "which are blue" part. Well, I don't want my blueberries mixed up with odon (bog blueberries, but I prefer the Swedish name for the sake of distinctiveness) either. Nor American blueberries, for that matter, but they don't even have a better disambiguation here in Sweden...

EDIT: Also, American pancakes are mostly an excuse to ingest maple syrup; they're not supposed to taste good plain. You might or might not have already known this.

I admit that the only American pancakes I've had were with corn syrup, but I've tried maple syrup on a separate occasion, and I wasn't all too impressed with it either. I eat my pancakes with jam (sometimes together with whipped cream as well). In fact, jam is at least half the reason I'm militant about berries. Jam is the good stuff.

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-08-06, 07:56 PM

Personally, for me, ordinary pancakes (2 milk : 2 flour : 1 egg by weight, and 1 egg : 1 tbsp sugar : 1 tbsp butter: 1 tsp baking soda by count) are something to be quick, simple, cheap, made entirely from things I've almost certainly got plenty of

Try throwing into the milk a tablespoon of lemon juice, whisk them together and let them rest 5 minutes while you mix in the dry ingredients. It's not buttermilk, but I feel it's significantly better than plain milk.

Grey Wolf

Qwertystop

2018-08-06, 08:14 PM

Try throwing into the milk a tablespoon of lemon juice, whisk them together and let them rest 5 minutes while you mix in the dry ingredients. It's not buttermilk, but I feel it's significantly better than plain milk.

Grey Wolf

Haven't got lemon juice at the moment, but I'll try to remember to give that a go. I do have a bottle of lime juice.

I tend to not buy... flavor. Spices, fruit, whatever. I know I can afford to make more interesting meals than the minimal basics (rice-and-beans, pasta-and-jar-sauce-and-ground-turkey, miscellaneous-root-vegetable-stew, eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, occasionally deli-meat sandwiches) but somehow I can almost never get myself to actually do it.

Peelee

2018-08-06, 08:18 PM

EDIT: Also, American pancakes are mostly an excuse to ingest maple syrup; they're not supposed to taste good plain. You might or might not have already known this.

Indeed, which is why greatly prefer waffles. The syrup delivery system is much more efficient.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-06, 08:21 PM

Hey I actually noticed that we keep changing topics for one interesting topics to the next. First is pancakes, then waffles and now received. Does anybody else notice that? :smile:

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-08-06, 08:33 PM

Haven't got lemon juice at the moment, but I'll try to remember to give that a go. I do have a bottle of lime juice.

I tend to not buy... flavor. Spices, fruit, whatever. I know I can afford to make more interesting meals than the minimal basics (rice-and-beans, pasta-and-jar-sauce-and-ground-turkey, miscellaneous-root-vegetable-stew, eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, occasionally deli-meat sandwiches) but somehow I can almost never get myself to actually do it.

Interesting. I find lemons to be as staple as eggs, rice, or pasta. But then, I do cook a lot of fish, so I always have lemons around.

I would not recommend using lemon juice from a bottle, unless it is actually actual lemon juice and not some kind of rehydrated concentrate - no idea if that can substitute actual lemon freshly squeezed.

Grey Wolf

Qwertystop

2018-08-06, 08:40 PM

Interesting. I find lemons to be as staple as eggs, rice, or pasta. But then, I do cook a lot of fish, so I always have lemons around.

I would not recommend using lemon juice from a bottle, unless it is actually actual lemon juice and not some kind of rehydrated concentrate - no idea if that can substitute actual lemon freshly squeezed.

Grey Wolf

The difference is lemons are flavoring, and eggs, rice, and pasta are food. You can eat eggs or rice or pasta plain, but it's not many who'd eat a lemon like an orange. You can also eat all of the things you would put lemon on, without the lemon. Like I said, I have difficulty getting myself to actually buy much beyond the minimum, as far as food goes.

While it says "reconstituted" I can't tell from taste or smell that it's any worse than real.

factotum

2018-08-06, 09:03 PM

Hey I actually noticed that we keep changing topics for one interesting topics to the next. First is pancakes, then waffles and now received. Does anybody else notice that? :smile:

You'd almost think the thread subject was all about random things that occur to people as they read the conversation... :smallsmile:

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-06, 09:05 PM

You'd almost think the thread subject was all about random things that occur to people as they read the conversation... :smallsmile:

Well this is the reason why this thread called the random banter. :biggrin:

Aedilred

2018-08-07, 01:41 AM

They obviously made an experiment to see how quickly they could get you to appropriate the name for something almost, but not quite, entirely unlike football. http://i.imgur.com/FZ6yI9l.png
Hard to tell how serious you're being, but the etymology of "football" is that it was a ball game played on foot (as opposed to on horseback). Early games of football were often essentially a fight with a ball that was anything but round (some regional variants of this survive in the UK as curiosities). During the 19th century forms of the game started to be codified and generally split into two forms: round-ball football where the ball is primarily kicked, and oval-ball football where the ball is primarily carried and thrown.

Association football was by far the most successful of the round-ball codes and few of the others survive. Oval-ball codes vary more widely and there are many national and regional variants with wide followings.

The term "football" itself just generally refers to whichever code is most prominent where the speaker is based: association football in the UK and continental Europe; Gaelic football in Ireland; American football in the USA; Australian rules football in Australia; presumably rugby in New Zealand, and so on.

Of all the things Brits make fun of Americans for, the "soccer" thing is perhaps the stupidest.

I admit my sample size is small, but the only British people I've heard have been quite surprised about them being called "bilberries".
I think it may be a regional/dialect thing. I have often heard them referred to as bilberries.

Teddy

2018-08-07, 08:14 AM

Hard to tell how serious you're being, but the etymology of "football" is that it was a ball game played on foot (as opposed to on horseback). Early games of football were often essentially a fight with a ball that was anything but round (some regional variants of this survive in the UK as curiosities). During the 19th century forms of the game started to be codified and generally split into two forms: round-ball football where the ball is primarily kicked, and oval-ball football where the ball is primarily carried and thrown.

Association football was by far the most successful of the round-ball codes and few of the others survive. Oval-ball codes vary more widely and there are many national and regional variants with wide followings.

The term "football" itself just generally refers to whichever code is most prominent where the speaker is based: association football in the UK and continental Europe; Gaelic football in Ireland; American football in the USA; Australian rules football in Australia; presumably rugby in New Zealand, and so on.

Of all the things Brits make fun of Americans for, the "soccer" thing is perhaps the stupidest.

I still haven't gotten around to rehosting my custom smilies, so people without special browser plugins that scrub referrer info won't be able to see the tongue I put at the end of that. That said, in the vein of the past discussion, I would say that it's a fair assumption that I'm joking.

I think it may be a regional/dialect thing. I have often heard them referred to as bilberries.

Huh, I see.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-07, 09:14 PM

update on Her Majesty, Queen Fankie, The Cat:

I figured out a new spell I shall call "Summon Cat". all I have to do is the somatic component of filling the dish with a bit of food, the rattle the polymer bag and *poof*, she is under my feet!

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-08, 07:36 AM

Of all the things Brits make fun of Americans for, the "soccer" thing is perhaps the stupidest.

We'll stop making fun of you when you stop insisting that Football is rugby with body armour :smalltongue:

Okay, I understand that's not true. American football is more like a overcomplicated, more dangerous, but not less fatal*, version of Rugby. I understand why the armour is required, but I still don't get the appeal compared to Rugby, which is my personal favourites of the football sports (specifically Rugby Union rules, because it's what my school taught). Unfortunately even if I managed to go from fat to muscled I'm not large enough to be a Rugby player these days (just a bit too short to drag people down easily), and I don't have the coordination for Cricket.

While we're on the subject of sports, do the Americans here know that a key part of Cricket play is based on the fact you're allowed to alter the ball during the game? Bowlers will specifically roughen one side of the ball to alter how it flies, so that the bowls change over the course of the over. Ah, the days of school cricket, I still remember being taught how to bowl seperately for rounders (underarm), cricket (overarm with a runup), and softball (overarm with no runup). And everybody hated having the slow guy with no batting skills (a.k.a. me) on their rounders team, because if you ran past the base somebody who batted before you was on you went out.

* IIRC the risk of death is roughly the same, especially in Rugby Union, but American Football has a significantly higher proportion of long lasting nonlethal injuries.

Peelee

2018-08-08, 09:07 AM

We'll stop making fun of you when you stop insisting that Football is rugby with body armour :smalltongue:

...you say to someone from Bristol, with an avatar playing cricket.

Speaking of, no. Almost bobody in America has the slightest idea of how cricket works. The ones and we have our eyes on the one's who do.

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-08, 09:24 AM

...you say to someone from Bristol, with an avatar playing cricket.

Speaking of, no. Almost bobody in America has the slightest idea of how cricket works. The ones and we have our eyes on the one's who do.

I was using a general you, not replying to the specific poster. Yeah, totally didn't write that before my morning coffee, certainly not.

Also you Americans have used so many of our city names I wouldn't be surprised if there was one over there. Probably pronounced incorrectly. (Also the cricket rambling was just aimed generally, probably should have thrown in a double line break to make that clear.)

Teddy

2018-08-08, 10:03 AM

Speaking of, no. Almost bobody in America has the slightest idea of how cricket works. The ones and we have our eyes on the one's who do.

In fact, prety much no one outside of the Commonwealth has any idea of how cricket works. During my business trip to South Africa this spring, we discovered a TV channel that only aired cricket games, and it took me a while to figure out at least some pattern to the scoring. At a first glance, it really looks quite random.

Peelee

2018-08-08, 10:09 AM

I was using a general you, not replying to the specific poster. Yeah, totally didn't write that before my morning coffee, certainly not.

Also you Americans have used so many of our city names I wouldn't be surprised if there was one over there. Probably pronounced incorrectly. (Also the cricket rambling was just aimed generally, probably should have thrown in a double line break to make that clear.)

Look, all I'm saying is one Birmingham used the other Birmingham's skyline to advertise itself.:smalltongue:

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-08, 10:18 AM

Look, all I'm saying is one Birmingham used the other Birmingham's skyline to advertise itself.:smalltongue:

Which doesn't make up for the fact one country can't pronounce Birmingham (or Nottingham, or Leicester, or Loughbrough, or sometimes even names like Wycombe and Reading). How can you expect us to respect the lot of you when you can't even pronounce stuff in the obvious way.

Although your Brummies do have a better accent :smallbiggrin:

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-08-08, 11:20 AM

In fact, prety much no one outside of the Commonwealth has any idea of how cricket works. During my business trip to South Africa this spring, we discovered a TV channel that only aired cricket games, and it took me a while to figure out at least some pattern to the scoring. At a first glance, it really looks quite random.

???

The scoring is called "runs" and you can clearly see that it counts as the guys in the middle run back and forth. I can understand confusion over when they can and cannot run, when they come in and out of play, and what the deal with the sticks behind them is, but the scoring is as straightforward as it comes. I know nothing about cricket, but at least that bit, I have always thought, was the easy bit.

For those interested and with access to Netflix, there is a cricket explainer in there somewhere.

Grey Wolf

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-08, 11:25 AM

???

The scoring is called "runs" and you can clearly see that it counts as the guys in the middle run back and forth. I can understand confusion over when they can and cannot run, when they come in and out of play, and what the deal with the sticks behind them is, but the scoring is as straightforward as it comes. I know nothing about cricket, but at least that bit, I have always thought, was the easy bit.

For those interested and with access to Netflix, there is a cricket explainer in there somewhere.

Grey Wolf

The wicket is simple! If the bars on top of it are knocked off that batsman is out! As long as it wasn't hands that did it, balls or bats only.

Plus you forgot that you can get four or six runs by hitting the ball off the pitch. Which isn't exactly uncommon. Otherwise a run is scored each time the two batsmen swap ends, which can only be done when the bowler doesn't have the ball (although if you're in the middle of a run and the bowler gets the ball back you get to complete the run unless the bowler can stump you out).

Cricket is a simple game! At least compared to American Football, what's all this nonsense of 'having X tries to move the ball Y metres, and oh one player can pass forwards but the rest can't'?

TheWombatOfDoom

2018-08-08, 12:53 PM

Why is the game called cricket? I'm curious.

Peelee

2018-08-08, 01:04 PM

Which doesn't make up for the fact one country can't pronounce Birmingham (or Nottingham, or Leicester, or Loughbrough, or sometimes even names like Wycombe and Reading). How can you expect us to respect the lot of you when you can't even pronounce stuff in the obvious way.

Although your Brummies do have a better accent :smallbiggrin:

Look, once yall's B'ham admitted ours was better, you lot accepted the pronunciation as well.

Also, aren't y'all the ones where came up with Worcestershire sauce? Or, ya know, invented the whole dang language to begin with? Acting all high and mighty is like Michael Scott being proud of the nordic cherry lamp stand he built.

Oh hey look an American The Office reference. Funny that should pop up in a "y'all came up with stuff but we made it better" debate.:smallbiggrin:

Knaight

2018-08-08, 02:21 PM

Oh hey look an American The Office reference. Funny that should pop up in a "y'all came up with stuff but we made it better" debate.:smallbiggrin:

To be fair, ours had a major advantage from the outset. Not being saddled with Ricky Gervais is a wonderful thing.

Teddy

2018-08-08, 02:37 PM

???

The scoring is called "runs" and you can clearly see that it counts as the guys in the middle run back and forth. I can understand confusion over when they can and cannot run, when they come in and out of play, and what the deal with the sticks behind them is, but the scoring is as straightforward as it comes. I know nothing about cricket, but at least that bit, I have always thought, was the easy bit.

For those interested and with access to Netflix, there is a cricket explainer in there somewhere.

Grey Wolf

This:

Plus you forgot that you can get four or six runs by hitting the ball off the pitch. Which isn't exactly uncommon. Otherwise a run is scored each time the two batsmen swap ends, which can only be done when the bowler doesn't have the ball (although if you're in the middle of a run and the bowler gets the ball back you get to complete the run unless the bowler can stump you out).

Some times, nearly half the balls would fly off the pitch, and before I realised this was the cause of the score suddenly jumping by several points, it was hard to establish a pattern. Also, the camera usually focused on the ball rather than the batsman, so it was hard to see the cause of the points ticking. I just thought they were switching places between each throw...

TheWombatOfDoom

2018-08-08, 02:40 PM

To be fair, ours had a major advantage from the outset. Not being saddled with Ricky Gervais is a wonderful thing.

You do know Gervais was one of the main producers for the show, right?

factotum

2018-08-08, 02:43 PM

Some times, nearly half the balls would fly off the pitch, and before I realised this was the cause of the score suddenly jumping by several points, it was hard to establish a pattern.

Fours and sixes are pretty easy if you know the rules, but I guess it's not so easy if you're just trying to figure it out from first principles while watching a match. (For reference, if the ball reaches the boundary without touching the ground along the way, it's six runs; if it does the same thing but hits the ground before hitting the boundary rope, it's four).

Knaight

2018-08-08, 02:54 PM

You do know Gervais was one of the main producers for the show, right?

I do, yes. His acting was still the worst thing about it.

Peelee

2018-08-08, 05:05 PM

To be fair, ours had a major advantage from the outset. Not being saddled with Ricky Gervais is a wonderful thing.

I have a complicated relationship with Gervais. I love almost everything that he's made, but i hate the man himself. I have no problem with his acting (and I think he knocked it out of the park with David Brent, in that he achieved exactly what he was going for) but he manages to achieve the same effect IRL for me. But I'll still love An Idiot Abroad and other things he does. Merchant helps mitigate a lot of Gervais hate, though, since he's absolutely brilliant in every way. His agent in Extras is one of my favorite characters.

jwhouk

2018-08-08, 07:04 PM

...you say to someone from Bristol, with an avatar playing cricket.

Speaking of, no. Almost nobody in America has the slightest idea of how cricket works. The ones and we have our eyes on the one's who do.

Good form on that, I think it made the boundary for four. Next time, get a little lift on it, maybe you can hit it for six before the last ball of the over.

:smallamused::wink:

jwhouk

2018-08-08, 07:07 PM

Why is the game called cricket? I'm curious.

One theory is that it was the sound of the bat on the ball when it was first played in the pasture. It may also be a linguistic form of "Cracked It", but no one's really sure.

Now, if you don't mind, I need to go back and see how badly my Brewers are losing to the Padres.

SZbNAhL

2018-08-09, 07:44 AM

Good form on that, I think it made the boundary for four. Next time, get a little lift on it, maybe you can hit it for six before the last ball of the over.

:smallamused::wink:

You certainly put him on the back foot.

factotum

2018-08-09, 09:33 AM

You certainly put him on the back foot.

But is silly mid on guarding a sticky wicket? :smallwink:

Peelee

2018-08-09, 10:41 AM

See this is why I made that wellymittons joke.

enderlord99

2018-08-09, 10:49 AM

I'm of the controversial belief that if something tastes good with drugs and bad without drugs, it really just tastes bad.
Caffeine is a drug.

Peelee

2018-08-09, 10:53 AM

I'm of the controversial belief that if something tastes good with drugs and bad without drugs, it really just tastes bad.
Caffeine is a drug.

Maybe, but if it tastes good with drugs, the drugs are legal and cheap, and do not adversely affect you... why not use the drugs?

enderlord99

2018-08-09, 11:06 AM

Maybe, but if it tastes good with drugs, the drugs are legal and cheap, and do not adversely affect you... why not use the drugs?

Because other things taste even better (to me) with the same drugs. Not that that's much of an accomplishment...

rooster707

2018-08-09, 11:08 AM

Because other things taste even better (to me) with the same drugs. Not that that's much of an accomplishment...

...You know you can just say "I don't like coffee," right?

enderlord99

2018-08-09, 11:11 AM

...You know you can just say "I don't like coffee," right?

That's too straightforward; I prefer being moderately verbose and slightly cryptic.

rooster707

2018-08-09, 11:13 AM

That's too straightforward; I prefer being moderately verbose and slightly cryptic.

So I've noticed.

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-08-09, 11:16 AM

I'm of the controversial belief that if something tastes good with drugs and bad without drugs, it really just tastes bad.
Caffeine is a drug.

There are people who drink coffee even without caffeine because they like its taste.
There are people who drink coffee because it is a very efficient and safe way to imbibe caffeine, despite the taste (and some will go to great lengths to mask the taste).
There are people who will imbibe caffeine via less efficient/safe methods - either watered down (tea, coke, chocolate) or artificially concentrated (Monster and similar drinks) (I won-t speculate as to their reasons why - they are probably widely variable in any case).

You seem to fall under the third category. Why you think it is controversial, however, I am not entirely sure. Although I would term the idea that the presence of caffeine somehow changing the taste of coffee "controversial" in that I have literally never heard anyone say it. Coffee tastes the same with and without caffeine, as far as my taste buds can determine.

Grey Wolf

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-09, 11:28 AM

I sometimes drink coffee but not as frequently that I used to be. :smile:

enderlord99

2018-08-09, 11:28 AM

There are people who drink coffee even without caffeine because they like its taste.
There are people who drink coffee because it is a very efficient and safe way to imbibe caffeine, despite the taste (and some will go to great lengths to mask the taste).
There are people who will imbibe caffeine via less efficient/safe methods - either watered down (tea, coke, chocolate) or artificially concentrated (Monster and similar drinks) (I won-t speculate as to their reasons why - they are probably widely variable in any case).

You seem to fall under the third category. Why you think it is controversial, however, I am not entirely sure. Although I would term the idea that the presence of caffeine somehow changing the taste of coffee "controversial" in that I have literally never heard anyone say it. Coffee tastes the same with and without caffeine, as far as my taste buds can determine.

Grey Wolf

I technically fall under group 3, but I only ever ingest caffeine-containing beverages rarely.

I mostly was pointing out that the people who belong to group 2A (drink black coffee for the caffeine) seem to look down on group 1 (will drink decaf) for some reason.

EDIT: Apparently the reason is that taking the caffeine out requires putting other chemicals in, meaning 1 is equivalent to 2B (put stuff in their coffee) from the perspective of the snobconnoseur portion of 2A.

Peelee

2018-08-09, 12:18 PM

...You know you can just say "I don't like coffee," right?

That's too straightforward; I prefer being moderately verbose and slightly cryptic.

Wait, you were talking about hot bean water? It's not any better with caffeine. My mind went to coke.

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-08-09, 12:57 PM

Wait, you were talking about hot bean water? It's not any better with caffeine. My mind went to coke.

Speaking of coke and taste. Last time I was in the US, I tried a coke there, and it was horrendously terrible. Now, standard answer to "coke tastes different" is local taste of water, which I have verified in various other places, but this couldn't have been it. I have instead reached the tentative conclusion it was due to replacing sugar with some crap made out of corn, which the Internet in its infallible glory leads me to believe it is also even worse for my health than sugar, but failed to mention it tastes quite badly.

Grey Wolf

Peelee

2018-08-09, 01:25 PM

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-09, 08:17 PM

I like coffee made of fresh ground beans, with caffene and a spot of heavy cream or 1/2&1/2.

I drink about a pot per day.

Mith

2018-08-09, 08:41 PM

There are people who drink coffee even without caffeine because they like its taste.
There are people who drink coffee because it is a very efficient and safe way to imbibe caffeine, despite the taste (and some will go to great lengths to mask the taste).
There are people who will imbibe caffeine via less efficient/safe methods - either watered down (tea, coke, chocolate) or artificially concentrated (Monster and similar drinks) (I won-t speculate as to their reasons why - they are probably widely variable in any case).

You seem to fall under the third category. Why you think it is controversial, however, I am not entirely sure. Although I would term the idea that the presence of caffeine somehow changing the taste of coffee "controversial" in that I have literally never heard anyone say it. Coffee tastes the same with and without caffeine, as far as my taste buds can determine.

Grey Wolf

Isn't black tea stronger from a caffeine perspective than coffee?

Amidus Drexel

2018-08-09, 09:01 PM

Isn't black tea stronger from a caffeine perspective than coffee?

Not usually, no. I've seen a lot of different figures for how much caffeine is in a cup of either, but coffee tends to come out with around twice as much for a given volume compared to black tea. (Off the top of my head, it's something like 80-150mg/cup for coffee, and 40-75mg/cup for black tea).

--
EDIT:
According to the Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372), brewed coffee is around 95-165mg/8oz, and black tea is 25-48mg/8oz - so at least double the caffeine, and often much more than that. (Interestingly, a full 8oz of espresso would average a little under 450mg).

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-09, 09:04 PM

Is espresso stronger than coffee? :confused:

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-09, 09:30 PM

Expresso is finly ground beans, tamped down tightly and then infused with steaming hot water. it is like the normal amount for about 4 cups of coffee worth of grounds in about 1/2 a cup of coffee.

Peelee

2018-08-09, 09:35 PM

Expresso is finly ground beans, tamped down tightly and then infused with steaming hot water. it is like the normal amount for about 4 cups of coffee worth of grounds in about 1/2 a cup of coffee.

Espresso. Expresso is the future fast-serve coffee shop I'm going to put up to bilk those suckers who pay like five to eight bucks for a drink compete in the not-at-all-saturated coffee shop market.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-09, 09:38 PM

Peelee

2018-08-09, 09:44 PM

Ok but you didn't answer my question. Is espresso stronger than coffee or not.

He did, though. Check it:
it is like the normal amount for about 4 cups of coffee worth of grounds in about 1/2 a cup of coffee.
That means that one espresso is about the amount of a 1/2 a cup of coffee, but is as strong as about 4 cups of coffee.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-09, 09:47 PM

He did, though. Check it:
That means that one espresso is about the amount of a 1/2 a cup of coffee, but is as strong as about 4 cups of coffee.

Ok. Thank you both. I thinking about trying espresso sometime. :smile:

Grey_Wolf_c

2018-08-09, 09:56 PM

Isn't black tea stronger from a caffeine perspective than coffee?

As I understand it, black tea leaves have about twice the caffeine* of the equivalent weight of coffee beans. If you grounded down the leaves and drank them, it would have more caffeine than coffee. But since tea is merely soaked, most of its caffeine stays behind.

GW

*Technically, it is a slightly different molecule called theine, but practically identical, or so chemist friends tell me.

DataNinja

2018-08-09, 11:31 PM

Expresso is the future fast-serve coffee shop I'm going to put up to bilk those suckers who pay like five to eight bucks for a drink compete in the not-at-all-saturated coffee shop market.

Also a bird.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/donkeykong/images/c/c1/Expresso-DK.gif/revision/latest?cb=20101006014451

Algeh

2018-08-09, 11:37 PM

Amidus Drexel

2018-08-10, 12:53 AM

I have twice, years apart and in different towns, attempted to order espresso while at some kind of festival or event in Eastern Washington after getting far too little sleep the night before. Both times, I had to confirm to the barista that I indeed wanted a small cup of very strong coffee, because apparently no one actually orders espresso as a separate drink rather than as an ingredient in some complicated coffee-themed beverage. On the bright side, it was also absurdly cheap since the only way they could figure out how to ring it up was as an "extra shot".

I have no idea if this is also the case in more coffee-enlightened areas.

The places I've been typically ring up each shot separately, so a regular cup of coffee would be 8 shots of espresso and therefore quite expensive. Also probably bordering on undrinkable.
(I've done quad-shots of espresso during all-nighters before, though usually the effects were dampened a bit by lack of sleep). I'd say you got pretty lucky with them only hitting you for one extra shot. :smallbiggrin:

Aedilred

2018-08-10, 02:11 AM

Another theory for the origin of "cricket" as a name is that it derives from the original shape of the bat, which was crooked like a hockey stick. The bat changed shape in the late 18th century when bowlers started bouncing the ball rather than rolling but the name was already established.

Ok but you didn't answer my question. Is espresso stronger than coffee or not.
Espresso is coffee.

There are different ways of brewing coffee of which the most common commercially is forcing the water through the grounds at pressure. The product of this (assuming you stop before over-exposure) is espresso.

Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos and the like are watered-down espresso.

Espresso is therefore about as strong a coffee as you're likely to encounter but the question "is Espresso stronger than coffee" makes no sense.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-10, 02:20 AM

Another theory for the origin of "cricket" as a name is that it derives from the original shape of the bat, which was crooked like a hockey stick. The bat changed shape in the late 18th century when bowlers started bouncing the ball rather than rolling but the name was already established.

Espresso is coffee.

There are different ways of brewing coffee of which the most common commercially is forcing the water through the grounds at pressure. The product of this (assuming you stop before over-exposure) is espresso.

Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos and the like are watered-down espresso.

Espresso is therefore about as strong a coffee as you're likely to encounter but the question "is Espresso stronger than coffee" makes no sense.
I really don't see any difference for the question I asked. :confused:

Teddy

2018-08-10, 06:44 AM

Speaking of coke and taste. Last time I was in the US, I tried a coke there, and it was horrendously terrible. Now, standard answer to "coke tastes different" is local taste of water, which I have verified in various other places, but this couldn't have been it. I have instead reached the tentative conclusion it was due to replacing sugar with some crap made out of corn, which the Internet in its infallible glory leads me to believe it is also even worse for my health than sugar, but failed to mention it tastes quite badly.

Grey Wolf

Yeah, high fructose corn syrup is an ever-present sweetener in the state, and consists of fructose, glucose and probably some by-products. Fructose tastes roughly the same as sugar, but somewhat sweeter and slightly "frutier" (if my memory from a chemistry class over 10 years ago serves me right), while glucose tastes quite different with a "freshness" to it. Together, they will taste slightly off compared to sugar. As for the health aspect, it's debated. The theory I favour (I'm no scientist, mind you) is that the cheapness of corn syrup meant manifacturers started putting more of it into their products compared to the regular sugar they used before, thus amplifying the regular health concerns linked with all sugars.

As I understand it, black tea leaves have about twice the caffeine* of the equivalent weight of coffee beans. If you grounded down the leaves and drank them, it would have more caffeine than coffee. But since tea is merely soaked, most of its caffeine stays behind.

GW

Coffee is also merely soaked, and for a shorter time compared to tea (some exceptions exist, like coffee brewed with a french press). That said, coffee has a much higher dry-substance-to-water ratio by weight (roughly three times the amount for regular cup of coffee) and, as you said, is ground to increase its area of exposure to the water, so coffee comes out on top in the end.

*Technically, it is a slightly different molecule called theine, but practically identical, or so chemist friends tell me.

According to Wikipedia, it's the very same molecule. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine)

I have twice, years apart and in different towns, attempted to order espresso while at some kind of festival or event in Eastern Washington after getting far too little sleep the night before. Both times, I had to confirm to the barista that I indeed wanted a small cup of very strong coffee, because apparently no one actually orders espresso as a separate drink rather than as an ingredient in some complicated coffee-themed beverage. On the bright side, it was also absurdly cheap since the only way they could figure out how to ring it up was as an "extra shot".

I have no idea if this is also the case in more coffee-enlightened areas.

It's definitely not the case over here. In fact, over here, you might even have to confirm that you're not getting a double espresso. That said, Sweden has the second highest coffee consumption per capita in the entire world (only surpassed by Finland, that can be though of as a bleaker image of Sweden). It's the caffeine that gets us through the dark half of the year.

2D8HP

2018-08-10, 07:12 AM

...Sweden has the second highest coffee consumption per capita in the entire world (only surpassed by Finland, that can be though of as a bleaker image of Sweden). It's the caffeine that gets us through the dark half of the year.

Speaking of Sweden, I recently read that your now experiencing what in California is

"the new normal" (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/amp/As-climate-warms-fire-ravaged-Sweden-gets-a-13132663.php).

So far, compared to last year, while more of the State is ablaze, I haven't smelled as much smoke or seen as much ash (thank you wind direction!), how are things in your neck of the woods?

Peelee

2018-08-10, 07:43 AM

I really don't see any difference for the question I asked. :confused:
From whati understand, its like asking "is an F1 racer faster than a car?" Its not really a good question because the F1 question itself is a car. Just a specific type of car. Similarly, espresso is a specific type of coffee.

According to Wikipedia, it's the very same molecule. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine)
That makes sense. If there's one thing I know about molecules, it's that adding or changing literally anything is likely to have drastic feedback.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-10, 08:24 AM

From whati understand, its like asking "is an F1 racer faster than a car?" Its not really a good question because the F1 question itself is a car. Just a specific type of car. Similarly, espresso is a specific type of coffee.

That makes sense. If there's one thing I know about molecules, it's that adding or changing literally anything is likely to have drastic feedback.
Ok now I understand. :smile:

Peelee

2018-08-10, 09:51 AM

Ok now I understand. :smile:

Awesome! Hope you like the espresso if you feel like trying it, buddy!

Honest Tiefling

2018-08-10, 11:32 AM

That makes sense. If there's one thing I know about molecules, it's that adding or changing literally anything is likely to have drastic feedback.

Yeah, I was wondering how my caffeine addiction could be satisfied with a different molecule. The chemist friend might have been thinking about theanine, which does act like caffeine but is not and is present in tea particularly shade grown green teas.

I have twice, years apart and in different towns, attempted to order espresso while at some kind of festival or event in Eastern Washington after getting far too little sleep the night before. Both times, I had to confirm to the barista that I indeed wanted a small cup of very strong coffee, because apparently no one actually orders espresso as a separate drink rather than as an ingredient in some complicated coffee-themed beverage.

I am entirely unsure if the Bay Area counts as more enlightened, but most people who drink coffee that I see tend to put a lot of milk and sugar. Then again, the barista might have been concerned about customers ordering one thing, demanding another and tossing whatever they actually ordered at the barista. I can't imagine a bunch of cranky fair goers in any state being the best customers early in the morning.

Tvtyrant

2018-08-10, 01:08 PM

Oregonian here: I don't mind that there is a coffee place on every corner to sell sugar water at $4 a cup, it is what consumers want. I do mind going into diners and restaraunts and seeing a .50C (at best) cup of brewed coffee being sold for over $2.

We have some weird pricing here in general though. Food bought at grocery stores is cheaper here then just about anywhere I have been, but food at bars/diners/restaraunts costs more here then other places. Drives me nuts.

WarKitty

2018-08-10, 03:18 PM

I'm making a computer magic kit with "internet juice" and "extra bytes". What else should I add bottles of?

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-10, 03:40 PM

Ok I've a question to asked everybody, what's the point of the test of the emergency alert system? Every now and then during the commercial on TV, there's always the test of the emergency alert system. SO I want what's the deal with that? :annoyed:

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-10, 04:53 PM

Coffee is also merely soaked, and for a shorter time compared to tea (some exceptions exist, like coffee brewed with a french press).

Also known as the only bloody coffee maker worth having. Because, of course, everybody owns an electric kettle over here.

Okay, aeropresses are also acceptable, but I've been using a cafetiere every since I was about 12.

We have some weird pricing here in general though. Food bought at grocery stores is cheaper here then just about anywhere I have been, but food at bars/diners/restaraunts costs more here then other places. Drives me nuts.

As a resident of the UK I can say that American food pricing is sometimes used as a joke over here (even in London it's significantly cheaper to buy raw ingredients than to eat out).

Although the British perception of American food is not good. We see your ingredients as incredibly tampered with and overpriced compared to our own, and chickens fed steroids has been used as a punchline in my experience. Also your eggs are white, what's up with that? Chicken eggs are brown, and generally speckly :smalltongue:

Ok I've a question to asked everybody, what's the point of the test of the emergency alert system? Every now and then during the commercial on TV, there's always the test of the emergency alert system. SO I want what's the deal with that? :annoyed:

Emergency alert system? What's that?

I mean we probably have an equivalent over here. Probably get the Bobbies to peddal around to everybody's castle to gabble in the gazeboo over a cuppa.

As a random thought, my friends seem to be split over whether the British response to the apocalypse will be 'put the kettle on' or 'it's not the end of the world'.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-10, 05:08 PM

Also known as the only bloody coffee maker worth having. Because, of course, everybody owns an electric kettle over here.

Okay, aeropresses are also acceptable, but I've been using a cafetiere every since I was about 12.

As a resident of the UK I can say that American food pricing is sometimes used as a joke over here (even in London it's significantly cheaper to buy raw ingredients than to eat out).

Although the British perception of American food is not good. We see your ingredients as incredibly tampered with and overpriced compared to our own, and chickens fed steroids has been used as a punchline in my experience. Also your eggs are white, what's up with that? Chicken eggs are brown, and generally speckly :smalltongue:

Emergency alert system? What's that?

I mean we probably have an equivalent over here. Probably get the Bobbies to peddal around to everybody's castle to gabble in the gazeboo over a cuppa.

As a random thought, my friends seem to be split over whether the British response to the apocalypse will be 'put the kettle on' or 'it's not the end of the world'.

In America it used to be called Emergency Broadcasting System. They changed it Emergency Alert System (why, I have no idea. Maybe the name is better.) So anyway Emergency Alert System is a commercial where they give a test such as beeping for the next 30 seconds or less. The purpose of the test is to warn people if there's an actual serious emergency.

Peelee

2018-08-10, 05:17 PM

It's for emergency alerts. Down in Alabama where I live, those let us know about tornado watches and tornado warnings, as well as the occasional flash flooding. If a tornado touched down in your area, you dang well wanna know about it so you can hunker down.

They test the system every so often to make sure if they need it, it'll work perfectly. Which I think is a fantastic idea.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-10, 06:27 PM

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-10, 07:35 PM

We're also there to reached 50 Pages for this thread.

Qwertystop

2018-08-10, 08:20 PM

I'm making a computer magic kit with "internet juice" and "extra bytes". What else should I add bottles of?

Unclear whether you're amusingly referring to building a computer, or making a tech-themed gag gift.

In the former case: A small to moderate-sized M.2 SSD for your OS files and any programs that tend to start up slowly will really speed things up.

In the latter: bottle some Matrix-style code-rain.

WarKitty

2018-08-10, 08:26 PM

Unclear whether you're amusingly referring to building a computer, or making a tech-themed gag gift.

In the former case: A small to moderate-sized M.2 SSD for your OS files and any programs that tend to start up slowly will really speed things up.

In the latter: bottle some Matrix-style code-rain.

The latter.

factotum

2018-08-10, 08:31 PM

We're also there to reached 50 Pages for this thread.

Er, we haven't? Only 38 pages so far.

The latter.

Bandwidth enhancer, RAM blood, magic smoke (which you must be very sure to never let out of the wiring)...

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-10, 08:35 PM

Er, we haven't? Only 38 pages so far.

Bandwidth enhancer, RAM blood, magic smoke (which you must be very sure to never let out of the wiring)...

But we're getting close to it. :smile:

WarKitty

2018-08-10, 08:47 PM

Ok, suggestions are appreciated, but I am going to need things that can be reasonably crafted in a small space. Though some wire labelled "magic smoke" might be funny.

Peelee

2018-08-10, 08:54 PM

Ok, suggestions are appreciated, but I am going to need things that can be reasonably crafted in a small space. Though some wire labelled "magic smoke" might be funny.

Percussive maintenance stick?

Goaty14

2018-08-10, 09:44 PM

I'm making a computer magic kit with "internet juice" and "extra bytes". What else should I add bottles of?

A small piece of paper shaped like a RAM stick, with some QR codes to the following site (https://downloadmoreram.com/download.html). That way, you always have some downloadable RAM handy :smallsmile:

EDIT: Make sure at least one of those QR codes is slightly different and links here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ). :smallamused:

Ok I've a question to asked everybody, what's the point of the test of the emergency alert system? Every now and then during the commercial on TV, there's always the test of the emergency alert system. SO I want what's the deal with that? :annoyed:

To make sure it's not broken. Where I live, they do the tornado warning every wednesday at noon sharp.

Peelee

2018-08-10, 09:48 PM

To make sure it's not broken. Where I live, they do the tornado warning every wednesday at noon sharp.

The sirens and the emergency broadcast system are different.

Also, first Wednesday of the month at 10 am for us. Every week seems a bit much.

Knaight

2018-08-11, 01:39 AM

EDIT: Apparently the reason is that taking the caffeine out requires putting other chemicals in, meaning 1 is equivalent to 2B (put stuff in their coffee) from the perspective of the snobconnoseur portion of 2A.
It's a bit more complicated than that - you're putting other chemicals in in the sense of there being, at some point in the process, a mixture, but these leave. It's an extraction process, where you take two fluids that aren't particularly soluble in each other, generally one polar and one nonpolar, and stuff soluble in both but much more soluble in one than the other shifts to mostly being dissolved in one. Then, when you remove the extraction fluid your starting fluid has been mostly de-chemicaled of the particular chemicals of interest.

In this case the standard extraction fluid is carbon dioxide in supercritical fluid phase. It's not put in the coffee in any real way - decaf isn't carbonated, no 2B violation here - but it does take a lot of stuff with it when it goes through. Caffeine is on that list, accompanied by basically anything else small and minimally polar. Which describes a lot of flavor molecules.

From whati understand, its like asking "is an F1 racer faster than a car?" Its not really a good question because the F1 question itself is a car. Just a specific type of car. Similarly, espresso is a specific type of coffee.
Though in this case the strength isn't so atypical. There are very few non F1 cars that can keep up with an F1 (mostly those half-rockets used to try and break speed records). There's lots of non-espresso coffee of comparable strength. Proper Turkish coffee, for instance.

Algeh

2018-08-11, 02:12 AM

I am entirely unsure if the Bay Area counts as more enlightened, but most people who drink coffee that I see tend to put a lot of milk and sugar. Then again, the barista might have been concerned about customers ordering one thing, demanding another and tossing whatever they actually ordered at the barista. I can't imagine a bunch of cranky fair goers in any state being the best customers early in the morning.

I suppose. If I'd then been charged a "normal price-gouging faire/hotel price" I would assume it was just a "confirm that you know what you're ordering" checkpoint since other people presumably wanted sugary coffee-themed dessert beverages and didn't know which words to use, particularly early Sunday morning at a faire when most people ordering coffee are hoping it can make up for a severe lack of sleep and are probably not at peak word use ability. The time at a faire I ended up paying 50 cents a shot, though, so I'm pretty sure this had actually never come up before for that particular worker. (I think I ordered 3 shots, for less than the price of a single cup of regular coffee at that booth, which could not possibly be part of their overall financial plan but I was fine with if they were.) I actually can't remember what I ended up getting charged the time I ordered espresso at a hotel/convention center Starbucks, but I do remember that I had to have the same conversation about strong coffee in a tiny cup.

I learned to drink my coffee black when I was about 9 or 10 and the local pizza place offered free coffee but charged for soda. (They were trying to attract bus drivers since there was a layover point for a local bus route about a block away.) I figured I should start drinking the thing that was both free and more interesting than water. I'll put in cream sometimes, particularly if I'm trying to get away with just coffee but no food for a while for some reason (probably because I'm trying to quickly get to a panel at a con or sitting at a restaurant that I suspect will have slow service), but not as a regular thing. I don't like sweet drinks in general, so I never got in the habit of adding sugar to things that weren't sweet to start with.

Oregonian here: I don't mind that there is a coffee place on every corner to sell sugar water at $4 a cup, it is what consumers want. I do mind going into diners and restaraunts and seeing a .50C (at best) cup of brewed coffee being sold for over $2.

We have some weird pricing here in general though. Food bought at grocery stores is cheaper here then just about anywhere I have been, but food at bars/diners/restaraunts costs more here then other places. Drives me nuts.

Well, Oregon is one of those states that requires tipped employees to still be paid at least minimum wage without counting their tips are part of their wage (and has a higher state minimum wage) so a lot of what you're paying for at restaurants is the people rather than the ingredients. This is one of the reasons I used to like to eat at the New Seasons deli rather than a regular restaurant - they'd let you buy beer from their beer aisle and drink it there with your meal at grocery store prices rather than bar prices. (I have no idea if this is still true - I now live someplace with a lot of walkable restaurants but where I'd need to drive or take trimet to get to a New Seasons, and I used to live someplace with few walkable bars but a walkable New Seasons, so it fell out of the "places to have a beer" rotation after the move.)

At non-fancy-coffee places (restaurants and bars) that $2 or $3 cup of coffee usually has free refills, so for people like me it tends to work out to $1 or less a cup...

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-11, 07:14 AM

IWell, Oregon is one of those states that requires tipped employees to still be paid at least minimum wage without counting their tips are part of their wage (and has a higher state minimum wage) so a lot of what you're paying for at restaurants is the people rather than the ingredients.

Which is the way it should be. Eating out should be priced according to both parts and labour, and tipping should very much be optional (the 'traditional' tip for average service where I come from is 3%, or 0% for students).

Peelee

2018-08-11, 08:49 AM

Though in this case the strength isn't so atypical. There are very few non F1 cars that can keep up with an F1 (mostly those half-rockets used to try and break speed records). There's lots of non-espresso coffee of comparable strength. Proper Turkish coffee, for instance.
Eh, it worked well enough. I'm not a big car guy. Maybe "muscle car" would have been better?

I
Well, Oregon is one of those states that requires tipped employees to still be paid at least minimum wage without counting their tips are part of their wage (and has a higher state minimum wage) so a lot of what you're paying for at restaurants is the people rather than the ingredients.

Note to self: move to Oregon.

For reals, though, any place that doesn't tax food would be pretty cool. Oh, I assure you, I know.

Algeh

2018-08-11, 11:34 AM

Note to self: move to Oregon.

For reals, though, any place that doesn't tax food would be pretty cool. Oh, I assure you, I know.

They tax food where you live? Even in the nearby states around here that have a sales tax (Oregon does not) I think groceries are usually one of the non-taxed things. I mostly end up eating in restaurants when I'm traveling, though, and they do tend to tax those in surrounding states.

Sales taxes drive me nuts when I travel because they apparently don't have to post the tax rates in the stores, so I never know how much my bill will be in advance like I do at home. It makes it a lot harder to have exact change ready by the time you're at the front of the line.

Peelee

2018-08-11, 11:46 AM

They tax food where you live? Even in the nearby states around here that have a sales tax (Oregon does not) I think groceries are usually one of the non-taxed things. I mostly end up eating in restaurants when I'm traveling, though, and they do tend to tax those in surrounding states.

Sales taxes drive me nuts when I travel because they apparently don't have to post the tax rates in the stores, so I never know how much my bill will be in advance like I do at home. It makes it a lot harder to have exact change ready by the time you're at the front of the line.

Yes, Alabama taxes all foods. I thought nothing of it until I learned that is not the case in most other states.

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-11, 12:04 PM

They tax food where you live? Even in the nearby states around here that have a sales tax (Oregon does not) I think groceries are usually one of the non-taxed things. I mostly end up eating in restaurants when I'm traveling, though, and they do tend to tax those in surrounding states.

Sales taxes drive me nuts when I travel because they apparently don't have to post the tax rates in the stores, so I never know how much my bill will be in advance like I do at home. It makes it a lot harder to have exact change ready by the time you're at the front of the line.

Or you could just include the tax in the advertised price. We do it with VAT over here, and it makes shopping so much easier. No need to do anything more than tally the cost in your head.

Peelee

2018-08-11, 01:38 PM

Or you could just include the tax in the advertised price. We do it with VAT over here, and it makes shopping so much easier. No need to do anything more than tally the cost in your head.

You have my sword.

Teddy

2018-08-11, 02:20 PM

Speaking of Sweden, I recently read that your now experiencing what in California is

"the new normal" (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/amp/As-climate-warms-fire-ravaged-Sweden-gets-a-13132663.php).

So far, compared to last year, while more of the State is ablaze, I haven't smelled as much smoke or seen as much ash (thank you wind direction!), how are things in your neck of the woods?

All of the four big fires we had so far this years have as far as I know been stopped, but small forest fires keep popping up all across the country. We've had some relief in that several of the badly affected areas have received some heavy rain showers in the past two weeks, making the vegetation a lot less flammable.

As for smelling smoke, all of the large fires were comparatively speaking as far away from me as the Redding fire is from you, so I could maybe have sensed a little if the wind was in the right direction, but probably not, and when we went up to our ancestral farm a week and a half ago, which would put us pretty close to the largest complex of fires, it had just been contained and it was raining heavily in the area, so I think it didn't spread any large amounts of smoke any longer...

Yeah, I was wondering how my caffeine addiction could be satisfied with a different molecule. The chemist friend might have been thinking about theanine, which does act like caffeine but is not and is present in tea particularly shade grown green teas.

They could also just be mistaken. It's a fairly common misconception, after all. I mean, as a programmer, my blood stream is pretty much bytes at this point, but the stars know I'm wrong about computers every now and then...

Ok, suggestions are appreciated, but I am going to need things that can be reasonably crafted in a small space. Though some wire labelled "magic smoke" might be funny.

Maybe have it as a dark liquid in a syringe, for restoring the magic smoke to parts that have lost theirs.

While we're at it...

Spare Bit Bucket - a thimble
Black Magic Marker (for writing code that works but noone understands how) - a wide black marker (like one would use for censoring documents)
Hot Patches - bandaids, "heat before application"
Copy paste
Magic Button (with absolutely no explanation) - a flip switch with one side labled "magic" and the other labled "more magic"
2D-to-3D Screen Upgrade Kit - a nylon sock (okay, only Swedes would be able to get this one)

Or you could just include the tax in the advertised price. We do it with VAT over here, and it makes shopping so much easier. No need to do anything more than tally the cost in your head.

We do it over here too, and it's very convenient. Also, there's as far as I know nothing that's exempt from VAT over here (but it is lower for some goods or services, like eating at restaurants, incidentally).

ION:
I went out dancing yesterday. You know you've done the dance floor justice when you order salt at the bar, and then find it to be the best thing you've eaten all week.

Peelee

2018-08-11, 07:53 PM

I wish I'd moved to PCB for a year or two back in my early/mid 20's when a friend did. And gotten a motorcycle. Maybe a tattoo. Also, I swear I'm not going through a mid-life crisis. I don't want to do those things currently. I just wish I had when I was younger.

Well, maybe I do want a motorcycle currently. But for practical reasons and in a responsible way, dammit!

2D8HP

2018-08-11, 08:25 PM

I wish I'd moved to PCB for a year or two back in my early/mid 20's when a friend did. And gotten a motorcycle.... !

I've no idea where "PCB" is, but I owned several motorcycles in my 20's (and a couple into my 40's), and I miss riding.

I also worked at a motorcycle shop for seven years, and I made with other riders.

Sadly some of my friends died riding, and I miss them too.

I think that with the proper mindset one may ride a motorcycle relatively safely, unfortunately if you have that mindset your unlikely to want to ride in the first place.

Peelee

2018-08-11, 09:08 PM

I've no idea where "PCB" is, but I owned several motorcycles in my 20's (and a couple into my 40's), and I miss riding.

I also worked at a motorcycle shop for seven years, and I made with other riders.

Sadly some of my friends died riding, and I miss them too.

I think that with the proper mindset one may ride a motorcycle relatively safely, unfortunately if you have that mindset your unlikely to want to ride in the first place.

Since my location tag is gonna change tomorrow, Panama City Beach.

factotum

2018-08-12, 12:34 AM

We do it over here too, and it's very convenient. Also, there's as far as I know nothing that's exempt from VAT over here (but it is lower for some goods or services, like eating at restaurants, incidentally).

In the UK, anything that's considered a necessity (e.g. most types of food) carries 0% VAT. There are some weird corner cases--for instance, a chocolate-covered cake carries no VAT, but a chocolate-covered biscuit *does*, which is why McVities went to court to prove that Jaffa Cakes are a small cake instead of a biscuit.

As far as restaurants are concerned, in the UK food served hot that is intended to be eaten in the restaurant carries VAT, food intended to be taken home and eaten there is exempt. So, if you go into a McDonalds and have a takeaway meal it will be cheaper than the exact same meal eaten in the restaurant--bit odd, but you get used to it!

Peelee

2018-08-12, 01:34 AM

In the UK, anything that's considered a necessity (e.g. most types of food) carries 0% VAT. There are some weird corner cases--for instance, a chocolate-covered cake carries no VAT, but a chocolate-covered biscuit *does*, which is why McVities went to court to prove that Jaffa Cakes are a small cake instead of a biscuit.

As far as restaurants are concerned, in the UK food served hot that is intended to be eaten in the restaurant carries VAT, food intended to be taken home and eaten there is exempt. So, if you go into a McDonalds and have a takeaway meal it will be cheaper than the exact same meal eaten in the restaurant--bit odd, but you get used to it!

I assume that you're not allowed to eat a takeaway order in the restaurant? And, if you are, I assume the local McD's are by allowed to just ring every order throug as a takeaway?

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-12, 04:11 AM

I assume that you're not allowed to eat a takeaway order in the restaurant? And, if you are, I assume the local McD's are by allowed to just ring every order throug as a takeaway?

Considering I've been in places with seperate eat in and take away prices displayed on their menu the answers are no and no but I'm sure many do it anyway.

WarKitty

2018-08-12, 08:54 AM

In the UK, anything that's considered a necessity (e.g. most types of food) carries 0% VAT. There are some weird corner cases--for instance, a chocolate-covered cake carries no VAT, but a chocolate-covered biscuit *does*, which is why McVities went to court to prove that Jaffa Cakes are a small cake instead of a biscuit.

As far as restaurants are concerned, in the UK food served hot that is intended to be eaten in the restaurant carries VAT, food intended to be taken home and eaten there is exempt. So, if you go into a McDonalds and have a takeaway meal it will be cheaper than the exact same meal eaten in the restaurant--bit odd, but you get used to it!

Yeah it's been a big argument in some areas around here because that's how most states work, but for some reason feminine products have tax on them. People have rightly pointed out that those really are necessities (and in one or two cases generated some really stunning examples of guys not knowing how that works).

2D8HP

2018-08-12, 10:01 AM

In the UK, anything that's considered a necessity (e.g. most types of food) carries 0% VAT. There are some weird corner cases--for instance, a chocolate-covered cake carries no VAT, but a chocolate-covered biscuit *does*, which is why McVities went to court to prove that Jaffa Cakes are a small cake instead of a biscuit.

As far as restaurants are concerned, in the UK food served hot that is intended to be eaten in the restaurant carries VAT, food intended to be taken home and eaten there is exempt. So, if you go into a McDonalds and have a takeaway meal it will be cheaper than the exact same meal eaten in the restaurant--bit odd, but you get used to it!

Roughly the same rules in California.

http://www.coyoteblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/CA-sales-tax-food-1024x753.jpg

And (unlike the UK) the tax is not listed with the "price", and what the tax is varies by County, and sometimes municipality, so I can walk across the street (actually a long buried creek marks the County border) between Albany and El Cerrito and the same "priced" item will ring up differently.

Most of the time the difference is negligible, but it can add up on big ticket items

LaZodiac

2018-08-12, 10:42 AM

Literally no one, at least as far as I'm aware from where I live, cares enough to make you leave if you're eating the take out version of the food in the food location.

Peelee

2018-08-12, 01:06 PM

Roughly the same rules in California.

http://www.coyoteblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/CA-sales-tax-food-1024x753.jpg

We have a similar flowchart in Alabama. Check it:

Can I eat a sales-tax-free meal in AL?
|
|
-----> No.

factotum

2018-08-12, 03:17 PM

Literally no one, at least as far as I'm aware from where I live, cares enough to make you leave if you're eating the take out version of the food in the food location.

I suspect a UK restaurant may care about that, because HMRC would be on their case pretty quick if word got around that they weren't charging VAT on food eaten on the premises.

Florian

2018-08-13, 03:42 AM

Due to the difference in the taxation system, it doesn't matter whether I pay for a take out meal (7%) or a served meal (19%), the end price is always the same.

Peelee

2018-08-13, 06:09 AM

I suspect a UK restaurant may care about that, because HMRC would be on their case pretty quick if word got around that they weren't charging VAT on food eaten on the premises.

Her Majesty's Royal Crevenueagency?

2D8HP

2018-08-13, 07:11 AM

Her Majesty's Royal Crevenueagency?

Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&source=android-browser&q=HMRC) (if Google is to be believed).

Peelee

2018-08-13, 09:40 AM

Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&source=android-browser&q=HMRC) (if Google is to be believed).

Yeah that makes more sense.

enderlord99

2018-08-13, 01:12 PM

Peelee

2018-08-13, 01:22 PM

Pillows seem to be getting firmer and firmer as well as thicker and thicker. We've gotten to the point where they make my neck hurt; I wonder when we'll start referring to 3-foot-across wooden spheres a "pillows." :smallannoyed:

EDIT: Not all pillows, mind you, just the ones my dad buys for me after throwing away my previous ones without asking.

I love the firmness of mine, but I also explicitly chose it. This must sound ridiculous, but had you thought of getting a nice comfy pillow that you like and storing it under the bed during the day?

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-13, 04:38 PM

Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&source=android-browser&q=HMRC) (if Google is to be believed).

Yeah, that's it. Got to have everything officially be the Queen's just in case Parliament decides to go crazy and declare a third civil war or something. Thankfully when (if? I'm still not convince Liz is mortal) Charles takes over we won't have to change the acronyms.

Interesting fact, while it's the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, it's not the 'Royal Army' because it's descended from the army Parliament raised to fight against Charles II. While there are royal regiments and every member of the armed forces swears loyalty to the Crown and not Parliament it's still the [IBritish Army[/I], no royal about it, and Parliament's permission is required to have it.

I'm going to leave that there, to stop it from getting political, but it's still an interesting thing to know.

Mith

2018-08-13, 05:04 PM

Yeah, that's it. Got to have everything officially be the Queen's just in case Parliament decides to go crazy and declare a third civil war or something. Thankfully when (if? I'm still not convince Liz is mortal) Charles takes over we won't have to change the acronyms.

Interesting fact, while it's the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, it's not the 'Royal Army' because it's descended from the army Parliament raised to fight against Charles II. While there are royal regiments and every member of the armed forces swears loyalty to the Crown and not Parliament it's still the [IBritish Army[/I], no royal about it, and Parliament's permission is required to have it.

I'm going to leave that there, to stop it from getting political, but it's still an interesting thing to know.

Huh good to know!

And yeah, there's a part of me that feels like Queen Elizibeth will only pass away when she feels like she's good to go and not a kinute before. My Great Aunt (who looked a heck of a lot like the Queen in appearance and bearing to the point that my brother and I thought she was the queen) was like that).

enderlord99

2018-08-13, 11:10 PM

My problem with overly-thick pillows is related to the fact that I sleep on my side, with my arm underneath the same pillow that my head goes on top of.

If I were to sleep on my back, which I would prefer not to, the thicknes wouldn't be a problem. Firmnes wouldn't matter any less, but it's only a minor factor in the first place.

I've now commandeered one of the couch pillows; it's nice and small. :smallsmile:

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-15, 06:59 AM

I just got a hair cut! I now look 12.354% more presentable!

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-15, 05:22 PM

I still get to entertain her majesty queen Frankie the Cat.

Peelee

2018-08-15, 06:50 PM

I just got a hair cut! I now look 12.354% more presentable!
That is a remarkably precise amount.

I still get to entertain her majesty queen Frankie the Cat.
This pleases me.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-15, 07:55 PM

That is a remarkably precise amount.

This pleases me.I am trying to figure out what to feed her that will put some healthy meat on her skinny self. When she first started showing up you could feel her ribs through her skin.

addm: I am feeding her Purina one tender selects blend

Peelee

2018-08-15, 09:29 PM

I am trying to figure out what to feed her that will put some healthy meat on her skinny self. When she first started showing up you could feel her ribs through her skin.

addm: I am feeding her Purina one tender selects blend

I recommend canned meat food every few days or so (I'm a fan of "not pate," but what your cat likes is fine). Also, a lot of the main cat food brands are kind of like kitty fast food. Tasty and cheap but not the best thing for them. Cats are very carnivorous (as opposed to dogs, who have more omnivorous traits; for instance, cat food has significantly more protein than dog food, and dogs would be alright on cat food but not vice versa). Anyway, a lot of them have grains or meals in the first three ingredients, meaning they are main parts of the food - they're put in as cheap, tasty filler.

Now, for a lot of cats, this is alright, and you shouldn't feel bad about feeding it to them or anything. But it does raise the possibility of kidney issues later in life, IIRC. The brands that are healthier for cats and don't have as much or any grains are going fo be pricier (again, DONT feel bad if you prefer the main big brands). We usually get Taste of the Wild, since it's the cheapest premium brand we can find (also, shout out to Tractor Supply Co. That store has been surprising me for 15 years now), and supplement it with canned food every few days (we just get Friskies from Sam's Club).

If your cat likes it and you can get some occassionally, a little nice raw chicken (as fresh as possible, washed beforehand) does wonders. Never feed a cat ground meat that's made for people; can't remember why, but its riskier. Also, raw bones are perfectly fine. Again, chicken shines here. I'd never recommend an all-raw diet, since you would need to research what all to feed her to make sure you keep up with needed nutrients. Almost all commercial cat food takes care of this for you. But they make for nice occasional treats.

Lastly, probably the most important thing is to feed her at consistent times. Cats like schedules. A lot.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-16, 04:15 AM

I just checked the bag and it says zero fillers. It has salmon as the first ingredient and then a few grains after that.

Peelee

2018-08-16, 04:57 AM

I just checked the bag and it says zero fillers. It has salmon as the first ingredient and then a few grains after that.

Yeah, those few grains after are fillers. Again, I can't stress this enough, dont feel bad about feeding her that. Mostly because the stuff that doesn't have grains tends to be a lot pricier, and a lot of cats dont get the associated health problems; it's just a higher risk thing.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-16, 05:27 AM

And I still need to buy food for me too!

Peelee

2018-08-16, 05:46 AM

And I still need to buy food for me too!

Go to Restaurant Depot, get a 40 lb. Box of boneless skinless chicken thighs for ~$40, and go nuts with your cat.:smalltongue:

WarKitty

2018-08-16, 08:57 AM

Speaking of cat...

https://imgur.com/gallery/z6hLPW9

Peelee

2018-08-16, 09:12 AM

Speaking of cat...

https://imgur.com/gallery/z6hLPW9

KITTY! I like kitties.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-16, 06:08 PM

Go to Restaurant Depot, get a 40 lb. Box of boneless skinless chicken thighs for ~$40, and go nuts with your cat.:smalltongue: Her royal highness and I will be sharing a can of tuna, well 3 large cans actually.

KITTY! I like kitties. with no lumps? was kitty ill?

WarKitty

2018-08-16, 06:19 PM

with no lumps? was kitty ill?

She was - she had some cancerous masses removed in december. We're not out of the woods yet; they could be internal or recur later. But nothing so far is good.

Her royal highness and I will be sharing a can of tuna, well 3 large cans actually.

I wouldn't recommend that. Commercial tuna can have too much mercury for little kitties.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-16, 06:36 PM

she is an adult, does that make a difference?

Also, a bit of history I found out: she is one of a litter of 3, the mother was run over when they were little and her and her sibs have been living in da hood as orphans since.

WarKitty

2018-08-16, 06:39 PM

LaZodiac

2018-08-16, 09:37 PM

Speaking of cat...

https://imgur.com/gallery/z6hLPW9

MEOW! That's a good cat!

Also I managed to obtain a photo of my aunt's cat, seen here! (https://i.imgur.com/1ZuwB72.jpg)

factotum

2018-08-17, 02:02 AM

I wouldn't recommend that. Commercial tuna can have too much mercury for little kitties.

Wow, I never knew that tuna had mercury in it, but it's apparently a legit concern:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fish

I wonder why it isn't more widely known, considering it can apparently affect pregnant women and small children?

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-17, 05:52 AM

Well, I am glad Hg has had no effect on my sanity.

Remember when you ran away and I got on my knees
and begged you not to leave because I'd go berzerk?
Well, you left me anyhow and the days got worse
and worse and now you see I've gone completely out of my mind.

And They're coming to take me away Ha Ha
They're coming to take me away ho ho he he ha ha

to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time,
and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats
and they're coming to take me away ha ha

You thought it was joke and so you laughed,
you laughed when I had said that losing you
would make me flip my lid, right?
You know you laughed, I heard you laugh, you laughed,
you laughed and laughed and then you left,
but now you know I'm utterly mad.

And they're coming to take me away Ha Ha
They're coming to take me away ho ho he he ha ha

To the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds and basket
weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes
They're coming to take me away ha ha...
I cooked your food, I cleaned your house, and this is how you paid me back for
all my kind unselfish loving deeds. Huh? Well you just wait they'll find
you yet, and when they do they'll put you in the ASPCA you mangy mutt.

And They're coming to take me away Ha Ha
They're coming to take me away ho ho he he ha ha
To the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see
those nice men in their clean white coats

They're coming to take me away Ha Ha
To the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds and basket weavers
who sit and smile and twiddle thier thumbs and toes

They're coming to take me away Ha Ha Ha
Your home the one the bank foreclosed, You cried to me Monogamy is the
way we both must live or you'll feel hurt. But, I see, I see there's someone
new, your anxious poly-pure-bred coat was even gone at our place while I paid
the rent, thanks!

And They're coming to take me away Ha Ha
They're coming to take me away ho ho he he ha ha
To the loony bin with all you can eat perscription drugs like thorizine, and
lithium, and electric shock and insulin
They're coming to take me away Ha Ha

Peelee

2018-08-17, 07:45 AM

Wow, I never knew that tuna had mercury in it, but it's apparently a legit concern:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fish

I wonder why it isn't more widely known, considering it can apparently affect pregnant women and small children?

I think cat ownership adds a +3 modifier to that knowledge check. It's how I found out way back when. Also, I think obstetricians warn against eating tuna. YMMV on that, of course.

Mith

2018-08-17, 10:17 AM

I think cat ownership adds a +3 modifier to that knowledge check. It's how I found out way back when. Also, I think obstetricians warn against eating tuna. YMMV on that, of course.

All fish is ofg limits I think due to risks of food contamination as well as Hg poisoning.

Peelee

2018-08-17, 10:28 AM

All fish is ofg limits I think due to risks of food contamination as well as Hg poisoning.

Huh. I never tried feeding cats canned salmon (the only other readily available, cheap canned fish) but thats because I never thought about it.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-17, 06:37 PM

Strange as it may be, the cat, Frankie, likes the dry Purina one better then the moist Purina whisker lickin's

Peelee

2018-08-17, 06:50 PM

Strange as it may be, the cat, Frankie, likes the dry Purina one better then the moist Purina whisker lickin's

Not strange at all. At least inasmuch as cats are strange. My big one doesn't like raw chicken while the small one goes crazy for it. Big one also often forgets his size and strength disparity in play fights and dominates but if there's one food bowl will totally let the smaller one push him away while she eats. Cats are weird.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-17, 07:24 PM

big (read protective and nurturing) brother syndrome?

Peelee

2018-08-17, 07:48 PM

big (read protective and nurturing) brother syndrome?

Well, it took a month or so until he wouldn't his and try to attack when we introduced her, so odds are low.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-17, 08:08 PM

I just got a hair cut! I now look 12.354% more presentable!

Why 12.354% more presentable? :confused:

Peelee

2018-08-17, 08:11 PM

Why 12.354% more presentable? :confused:

Because she couldn't get a precise enough tool to measure the 6.:smalltongue:

Qwertystop

2018-08-17, 08:22 PM

All fish is ofg limits I think due to risks of food contamination as well as Hg poisoning.

AFAIK, it's mostly large fish, specifically fish that eat other fish. Mercury gets eaten in small amounts by little fish and just sticks around in their tissues, then big fish eat the little fish and accumulate it. Since it doesn't pass, it gets to a higher concentration the farther up the food chain you go. Sardines and other small fish are generally fine.

Mith

2018-08-17, 09:13 PM

AFAIK, it's mostly large fish, specifically fish that eat other fish. Mercury gets eaten in small amounts by little fish and just sticks around in their tissues, then big fish eat the little fish and accumulate it. Since it doesn't pass, it gets to a higher concentration the farther up the food chain you go. Sardines and other small fish are generally fine.

Fair enough. It could be that the women I knew just took the extra precaution and just avoided fish.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-17, 09:14 PM

Wow! I was petting Frankie and she was purring really loud! I think she has proclaimed me a true subject of her kingdom!

2D8HP

2018-08-17, 09:26 PM

Today I opened one of many boxes that I have in storage, and I saw that it was filled with RPG books that I think I put away in the early 1990's, to my delight I saw the 3rd edition Pendragon rules, and to my surprise I saw that I have way more Cyberpunk, and Vampire/WoD gamebooks than I remembered.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-17, 09:42 PM

Peelee

2018-08-17, 10:16 PM

Wow! I was petting Frankie and she was purring really loud! I think she has proclaimed me a true subject of her kingdom!

Cats also purr if they're injured or stressed as a calming technique. Not that I think you're stressing her, of course. Also, they purr at the same frequency as an idling diesel engine (that one always sounded weird to me. I don't know car stuff, but all diesel engines idle at the same frequency?).

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-17, 10:58 PM

Cats also purr if they're injured or stressed as a calming technique. Not that I think you're stressing her, of course. Also, they purr at the same frequency as an idling diesel engine (that one always sounded weird to me. I don't know car stuff, but all diesel engines idle at the same frequency?).diesel engines idle at the same RPM due to the timing of everything.

2D8HP

2018-08-17, 11:44 PM

ah! a treasure chest!

I haven't really searched that deep yet, but I also see some Call of C'thullu stuff and Lands of Mystery (https://www.amazon.com/Lands-Mystery-Justice-Inc-RPG/dp/0917481607), which is a "Lost World" setting supplement to the Justice, Inc. RPG, and while the supplement looks a little familiar, I have no memory of the RPG it's a supplement for!

Conspicuously absent from what I see in that box so far is any Champions and Dungeons & Dragons stuff which I thought I still played then (another box, or lost to multiple moves?).

Anyway, judging by what I owned I must've had a much better memory for different rules back then.

In the other boxes I've looked inside so far I see some tools, CD's, tapes, and so very many books (why did I have a giant biography of Joseph Stalin?), often the same novels more then once (I expected the Michael Moorcock, but I seemed to had bought a lot of books by Philip Jose Farmer that I don't remember).

Judging by the archeological evidence from just over half of my lifetime ago I was definitely a nerd (RPG's and sci-fi), probably what's now called a hipster, and possibly a Stalinist or had ambitions of grabbing dictatorial power.

I may need a time machine to go back and ask myself, "Dude, what up with this?".

Peelee

2018-08-18, 12:31 AM

Judging by the archeological evidence from just over half of my lifetime ago I had ambitions of grabbing dictatorial power.

It's never too late to follow your dreams, ya know.

factotum

2018-08-18, 12:44 AM

all diesel engines idle at the same frequency?).

Pretty much all car engines idle at around the same speed whether they're diesel or petrol--typically around 800rpm. A four-cylinder four-stroke engine will have two firing strokes per revolution, which would be a frequency of about 26Hz.

enderlord99

2018-08-18, 12:46 AM

My mother uses "right?" as a filler word, and it's gotten me into trouble with her in the past because I could never tell quickly enough whether she was actually asking or just doing that filler. She's a good mom otherwise. I don't know why I'm sharing this.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-18, 08:22 AM

I hereby dedicate this first cup off coffee of the day to all of you.

Peelee

2018-08-18, 08:29 AM

I hereby dedicate this first cup off coffee of the day to all of you.

Same, but with coke.

WarKitty

2018-08-18, 09:32 AM

Cats also purr if they're injured or stressed as a calming technique. Not that I think you're stressing her, of course. Also, they purr at the same frequency as an idling diesel engine (that one always sounded weird to me. I don't know car stuff, but all diesel engines idle at the same frequency?).

They can also have distinct purrs. Mine has a distinctive what I call the "demand purr" - the one where you're supposed to be doing something and you're not.

Peelee

2018-08-18, 09:58 AM

They can also have distinct purrs. Mine has a distinctive what I call the "demand purr" - the one where you're supposed to be doing something and you're not.

Huh. I've heard the discinct meows before, but I haven't noticed any variation in purrs in mine.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-18, 10:42 AM

since I was gently petting her and had provided food and fresh water, I think it was "Thank you" as she was rubbing her face against my hand and leg.

jwhouk

2018-08-18, 10:53 AM

since I was gently petting her and had provided food and fresh water, I think it was "Thank you" as she was rubbing her face against my hand and leg.

That's likely her "you're my human who gives me food and water and I hereby mark you as mine" maneuver.

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-18, 06:31 PM

That's likely her "you're my human who gives me food and water and I hereby mark you as mine" maneuver.

I have to admit, I think she has stolen my heart.

Peelee

2018-08-18, 06:39 PM

I have to admit, I think she has stolen my heart.

Cats are really good at that. But yeah, rubbing up on you is a way to transfer scent. Same for licking

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-18, 07:16 PM

Why 12.354% more presentable? :confused:

I'm making fun of my autism and the stereotype of autistic people being overly mathmatical or precise.

Plus, you know, rounding to five decimal places because I didn't have precise enough data for more.

2D8HP

2018-08-18, 08:34 PM

I hereby dedicate this first cup off coffee of the day to all of you.

Thanks Insane Jeenyus!

I have to admit, I think she has stolen my heart.

Yep, that happens.

I'm making fun of my autism and the stereotype of autistic people....

I met my 7 years old niece this week for the first time who I'm told is autistic, and that this is a "problem".

I couldn't tell any big differences between her and other seven year-old kids except that she seems to be treated differently by adults.

Peelee

2018-08-18, 08:49 PM

I met my 7 years old niece this week for the first time who I'm told is autistic, and that this is a "problem".

I couldn't tell any big differences between her and other seven year-old kids except that she seems to be treated differently by adults.
Well, autism is a spectrum. Some people you wouldn't be able to tell unless they told you, some people you can absolutely tell after maybe a minute's interaction. And even then, it can manifest in different ways. I don't know enough about it or your niece to really make any definitive or even vaguely possibly accurate statements, but i like your attitude about it.

Thanks Insane Jeenyus!
Oh man, if that made you excited do I have some news for you!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0f/Time_youcover01.jpg/220px-Time_youcover01.jpg

enderlord99

2018-08-18, 09:40 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0f/Time_youcover01.jpg/220px-Time_youcover01.jpg

That was 12 years ago, which is an eternity in internet time.

2D8HP

2018-08-18, 09:45 PM

Oh man, if that made you excited do I have some news for you!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0f/Time_youcover01.jpg/220px-Time_youcover01.jpg

The honor is all mine, and it's about time!

That was 10 years ago.

It still took too long!

Aedilred

2018-08-19, 04:29 AM

That Time magazine cover now looks like a bad joke.

I suppose it was before Facebook was opened to the general public, before Twitter and Instagram; the infancy of Google Maps; while Amazon was only just beginning to diversify beyond books and music; before the smartphone; before the first phase of the Great Firewall was completed; before Cambridge Analytica and the raising of the curtain on Big Data.

So much hope.

Oh well.

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-19, 06:54 AM

I met my 7 years old niece this week for the first time who I'm told is autistic, and that this is a "problem".

I couldn't tell any big differences between her and other seven year-old kids except that she seems to be treated differently by adults.

I hate people labelling autism as a problem, because it really varies. You can be anywhere from 'they're very nerdy' to nonverbal, and all of it can be on the spectrum.

Note that at seven there likely won't be a massive noticable difference if she's High Functioning. She might have trouble in social situations, likely has one or more things she's obsessed with interested in (although that might also change from week to week), and despite the stereotype there's a good probability she gets and might even like humour. Modern media has a tendency to show that all autism has the same set of traits, from obsessions to a lack of humour, to the point that if you differ from it people can be surprised.

I mean heck, I have a variety of interests, but my main one is gaming and ruleset interactions, with secondary ones in literature and creative writing. But the one about autistic people disliking sarcasm is true, we never use it and have come to loathe blue text.

enderlord99

2018-08-19, 07:47 AM

Insane Jeenyus

2018-08-19, 10:12 AM

Since humans are mere insects to the nigh-incomprehensible outer gods from far beyond the mortal realm, and insect-vomit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey) is valuable, are there any nigh-incomprehensible outer gods from far beyond the mortal realm who would be willing to buy some human vomit? I've been producing a lot of it lately.

very sorry to hear about this.

also, the coffee was fresh ground from whole bean dark roast Guatamala organic free trade coffee.

Yes, I am very particular about my coffee.

ps, no fresh coffee yet today, it is reheated from yesterday - still pretty good reheated; also listening to trans Siberian orchestra.

enderlord99

2018-08-19, 01:37 PM

I have some ideas for custom anime stuff. It includes brief descriptions of three-ish fictional species, three DBZ-style transformations for one of those species, two-ish magical items, and the main villain.

An alien species similar to humanity, but with the ability to unlock the transformations listed here; once unlocked, they can be used basically at-will, but cause stamina drain after wearing off. Sparks can interbreed with humans (resulting in what are basically still sparks) or with grendels (resulting in what are basically grendels with the transformation potential of sparks) or with primal oni (which has only happened once, with results that will be described below.)

They're kind of like Saiyans with the metaphorical serial-numbers filed off, but not exactly.
An artificial race created by the Oni in their own image, using mostly human DNA. Slightly larger than humans and with green-tinted skin, what truly sets grendels apart is their capacity to regenerate and recover from any injury. This occurs naturally over time, and can even restore lost limbs.

They're a lot like D&D trolls, except in origin.
Grendels whose skin is tinted blue instead of green and who regenerate magical ability instead of just health. As the name suggests, they tend to be skilled with ice magic.
Grendels who have horn-like bumps on their foreheads and whose regeneration gradually becomes faster and faster when they are in combat.
The ten-foot-tall creators of the Grendels, with intense, dark-cyan skin and actual goat-like horns. They naturally possess the combined abilities of all of their creations. Ancient. Very powerful.
Unlocked by deep, intense meditation. Multiplies speed by one hundred and all other abilities by sixty. Sparks tend to become obsessed with particular goals while in this form, often resulting in tunnel-vision.
Unlocked through sheer anger. Starts out by merely doubling strength (and speed, and everything else) but the multiplier increases over time. In this form, sparks tend to behave recklessly and violently, experiencing anger similar to that which unlocked it in the first place.
Unlocked by divine blessing in combination with a long-forgotten ritual. Literally makes its user a god. Tends to dull emotions and make its users aloof. Cannot be combined with the other transformations, except when forced via the drinkig of Catalyst.
A rare elixir that, when drunk by someone who has unlocked one or more power-increasing transformative abilities, activates them all at once, even if they would normally be incompatible.
Catalyst that also provides an additional multiplier of its own. Usually in the single digits, but potentially up to around forty.
Exceedingly-rare catalyst variation that causes the transformations' effects to be applied twice; in effect, basic multipliers (such as Lightning Focus or Fiery Rage) are squared and Radiant Serenity makes the drinker a god twice-over.

Also prevents anyone who drinks it from dying while in a transformed state, but kills them as soon as it wears off. Lethally toxic to anyone without a tranformation.
Special shackles that prevent anyone wearing them from transforming. Generally locked onto dangerous prisoners, for obvious reasons.
Half Oni and half Spark, Primordax managed to unlock all three of the latter's transformations. Eventually, he drinks a dose of Chaos Catalyst and then locks a Form-lock Shackle onto his own wrist... which, as he had hoped, prevents him from transforming back (voluntarily or otherwise) and thus makes him immortal, in addition to the Chaos Catalyst's other ludicrous benefits. Unfortunately, it also makes him mentally unstable, filled with what paranoia would become if all fear were removed and replaced with equal parts hate and rage.

He's the main villain; of course he'd be brokenly strong!

2D8HP

2018-08-19, 02:54 PM

...I am very particular about my coffee....

As am I.

The twice a year free coffee that the McDonalds across the street from the boiler room and loading dock before they closed has never been equaled.

It was damn good!

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-19, 03:02 PM

I'm making fun of my autism and the stereotype of autistic people being overly mathmatical or precise.

Plus, you know, rounding to five decimal places because I didn't have precise enough data for more.

I'm autistic myself and I find that statement a bit offensive. :mad:

HalfTangible

2018-08-19, 03:06 PM

and I find that statement a bit offensive. :mad:

That sounds like your problem.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-19, 03:12 PM

That sounds like your problem.
H
Well is it. Why want he make fun of himself for being autistic and blatantly stereotyping everyone else for being autistic? :mad:

Peelee

2018-08-19, 03:31 PM

H
Well is it. Why want he make fun of himself for being autistic and blatantly stereotyping everyone else for being autistic? :mad:

He joked about his autism by playing to a stereotype amusingly. It's no different than me replying to someone by saying something like "well hoo doggy, i don't know much about that there fancy intertubes." Deliberately playing to a stereotype when others know it doesn't fit is a kind of harmless self-deprecating humor, and it doesn't stereotype anyone else.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-19, 03:34 PM

He joked about his autism by playing to a stereotype amusingly. It's no different than me replying to someone by saying something like "well hoo doggy, i don't know much about that there fancy intertubes." Deliberately playing to a stereotype when others know it doesn't fit is a kind of harmless self-deprecating humor, and it doesn't stereotype anyone else.

Oh ok. I get the point. Sorry everyone for the drama. I just misunderstood the whole joke. :frown:

LaZodiac

2018-08-19, 03:35 PM

He joked about his autism by playing to a stereotype amusingly. It's no different than me replying to someone by saying something like "well hoo doggy, i don't know much about that there fancy intertubes." Deliberately playing to a stereotype when others know it doesn't fit is a kind of harmless self-deprecating humor, and it doesn't stereotype anyone else.

Still ****ing sucks.

You can make jokes without punching down. I get he's making fun of himself, but it's still a little squiggly to me.

enderlord99

2018-08-19, 03:37 PM

You can make jokes without punching down.

He was quite clearly punching horizontally.

LaZodiac

2018-08-19, 03:39 PM

He was quite clearly punching horizontally.

I'm aware of that. It doesn't change the fact that still feels kinda ****ty, you know?

Also I posted a cat picture here and y'all just ****in' ignored it. How could you do this.

Peelee

2018-08-19, 03:42 PM

I'm aware of that. It doesn't change the fact that still feels kinda ****ty, you know?
Have you ever felt similarly when I drop into the redneck gool ol' boy schtick?

Also I posted a cat picture here and y'all just ****in' ignored it. How could you do this.
Cue me frantically searching the last few pages for that

MEOW! That's a good cat!

Also I managed to obtain a photo of my aunt's cat, seen here! (https://i.imgur.com/1ZuwB72.jpg)
KITTY!

Oh ok. I get the point. Sorry everyone for the drama. I just misunderstood the whole joke. :frown:

It's cool, dude! Everybody misunderstands things sometimes, there's no shame in that. So long as others are willing to help, everything is all good.:smallsmile:

enderlord99

2018-08-19, 03:54 PM

I'm aware of that.

You said "without punching down" which was already the case, rather than "while only puching up" which wasn't.

I'm autistic myself, and I found the joke non-offensive but also non-funny.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-19, 03:55 PM

Have you ever felt similarly when I drop into the redneck gool 'ol boy schtick?

Cue me frantically searching the last few pages for that

KITTY!

It's cool, dude! Everybody misunderstands things sometimes, there's no shame in that. So long as others are willing to help, everything is all good.:smallsmile:
On somewhat related topic. I just found out that the word "Rainbow" is a slur to the LGBT community. Ok here's the story, I went to another RPG and I make a thread about planning to play my first LGBT character in D&D 3.5. I told everyone that I'm going to play Robert Rainbow, a Chaotic Good Male Human Bard. I explained his backstory. Things turned out very well until a few people took offense with my character name. Apparently "Rainbow" is a blatant stereotype of the LGBT community. Are you ******* serious? How's Rainbow offensive to the LGBT community? I mean in my country (USA) we have the Rainbow flag which represent the LGBT community and no one isn't offended with that but when it comes to my character name people make a big deal about it and took offense with that. So anyway the admin of that site encourage to change my character name so instead of Robert Rainbow, I changed it to Robert Raisin. :mad:

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-19, 04:00 PM

Well is it. Why want he make fun of himself for being autistic and blatantly stereotyping everyone else for being autistic? :mad:

God, you're starting to remind me of my ex, she said the exact same stuff :smallbiggrin:

I'm English, and English humour relies a lot on sarcasm and self-depreciation. It makes interactions between the English and people visiting the country weird, if I'm talking to a fellow English person they understand that when I call myself stupid or ugly I don't actually mean that, but many of my foreign friends start becoming worried and can think I'm making myself depressed.

It's equivalent to when I call myself 'the ugly one' of my gaming group. I know that I'm not ugly, I'm fat but otherwise quite conventionally handsome (if I may be vain for a moment), but I joke about it because making fun of the 'unattractive nerd' stereotype by implying I'm the only one who fits it is a good way to lighten the mood a bit.

EDIT: as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, there's a lot of camps. I might be a full on rainbow mobius (just found out it's an autism acceptance symbol today and I love it*), and fully support the use of the six-colour LGBTQ+ rainbow, but it wouldn't surprise me if some people have started using the word in an offensive way.

I personally tend to play in heavily LGBT groups, specificallhy leaning very heavily towards bi and pan, and once jokingly suggested we call the group the Rainbow Warriors**. I also play a lot of bisexual characters, and habve more gay characters in my history than straight ones.

* When pride rolls around next year you can bet your arse that I'll be wearing one.
** I don't think that any of the characters were LGBTQ+, but it would still be a cool name for a company of diverse mercenaries.

Bartmanhomer

2018-08-19, 04:06 PM

God, you're starting to remind me of my ex, she said the exact same stuff :smallbiggrin:

I'm English, and English humour relies a lot on sarcasm and self-depreciation. It makes interactions between the English and people visiting the country weird, if I'm talking to a fellow English person they understand that when I call myself stupid or ugly I don't actually mean that, but many of my foreign friends start becoming worried and can think I'm making myself depressed.

It's equivalent to when I call myself 'the ugly one' of my gaming group. I know that I'm not ugly, I'm fat but otherwise quite conventionally handsome (if I may be vain for a moment), but I joke about it because making fun of the 'unattractive nerd' stereotype by implying I'm the only one who fits it is a good way to lighten the mood a bit.

I also post that I misunderstood the joke. Just in case if you haven't read the post already.

LaZodiac

2018-08-19, 04:30 PM

Have you ever felt similarly when I drop into the redneck gool ol' boy schtick?

Cue me frantically searching the last few pages for that

KITTY!

It's cool, dude! Everybody misunderstands things sometimes, there's no shame in that. So long as others are willing to help, everything is all good.:smallsmile:

I don't think I've ever seen you do that except for the one example, but yes. That's still kinda ****ty. It's LESS bad because "I have a slight accent due to where I was born" is not nearly as big a deal as "I am autistic" but both are dehumanizing. It's just that the latter is dehumanizing to people who've had a lot more **** thrown their way.

She is a good cat!

Anonymouswizard

2018-08-19, 04:39 PM

I also post that I misunderstood the joke. Just in case if you haven't read the post already.

Oh certainly, I just thought I'd explain the Englishness bit as it hadn't been.

Also, Zodi, are you saying that it's better for me to pike fun at how nobody can place my accent than being autistic. Seems highly limiting.

I mean I've only been told I sound like I'm Frome America, London, America, posh got, America, the South, and America. I'm from the Home Counties, and was actually taught to soak in RP at school!

Okay, I've only been told I sound American once, by aC Chinese girl, because of the RP thing, but my siblings get it all the time.

enderlord99

2018-08-19, 05:06 PM

I don't think I've ever seen you do that except for the one example, but yes. That's still kinda ****ty. It's LESS bad because "I have a slight accent due to where I was born" is not nearly as big a deal as "I am autistic" but both are dehumanizing. It's just that the latter is dehumanizing to people who've had a lot more **** thrown their way.

I don't understand how pointing out traits someone legitimately possesses automatically means you're implying them to be less than human, nor do I like it when people are offended in my stead. I understand that you can't help but feel offended, since humans (like other animals) are unable to instantly stop feeling an emotion on purpose; however, I would like you to explain the first bit, if it's not too much of a bother.

LaZodiac

2018-08-19, 05:19 PM

Seems highly limiting.

Get better jokes then.

I don't understand how pointing out traits someone legitimately possesses automatically means you're implying them to be less than human, nor do I like it when people are offended in my stead. I understand that you can't help but feel offended, since humans (like other animals) are unable to instantly stop feeling an emotion on purpose; however, I would like you to explain the first bit, if it's not too much of a bother.

I'm not even offended it's just a "eh that's rude and not funny."

I'll do my best to explain it. You're an idiot.

That's not very funny, is it. It doesn't matter how I say it, what kinda spin I put on it, I'm calling you an idiot. Even if I said it in a way that is funny, I'm still making a joke "about you being an idiot". If you don't understand why that's dehumanizing...well, see above.

All yous in this post are not specifically pointed at any one and are just for the purpose of illustrating a point. Pretend it's about you.

enderlord99

2018-08-19, 05:27 PM

I'll do my best to explain it. You're an idiot.

That's not very funny, is it. It doesn't matter how I say it, what kinda spin I put on it, I'm calling you an idiot. Even if I said it in a way that is funny, I'm still making a joke "about you being an idiot". If you don't understand why that's dehumanizing...well, see above.

All yous in this post are not specifically pointed at any one and are just for the purpose of illustrating a point. Pretend it's about you.

"Idiot" is objectively negative. "Uses lots of detail" isn't.

LaZodiac

2018-08-19, 05:29 PM

"Idiot" is objectively negative. "Uses lots of detail" isn't.

Making fun of me because I use a lot of details is objectively negative. It's a stereotype, and regardless of them directing it at themselves it reflects on me.

Peelee

2018-08-19, 05:30 PM

slight accent
[Laughs in Southern]

I'm not even offended it's just a "eh that's rude and not funny."

I'll do my best to explain it. You're an idiot.

That's not very funny, is it. It doesn't matter how I say it, what kinda spin I put on it, I'm calling you an idiot. Even if I said it in a way that is funny, I'm still making a joke "about you being an idiot". If you don't understand why that's dehumanizing...well, see above.

All yous in this post are not specifically pointed at any one and are just for the purpose of illustrating a point. Pretend it's about you.
Here's the difference, though. That joke was "you're an idiot." Our jokes are "I'm an idiot."* Its on ourselves, not on anyone else. Nobody is out here thinking that Bartmanhomer is obsessed with numbers because Anonymouswizard made a self-depracating joke (y'all have both openly stated you're are on the spectrum, so I assume you dont mind me using you as examples. If you do, just let me know).

*obviously not literally, but keeping with the theme of your example.

LaZodiac

2018-08-19, 05:32 PM

[Laughs in Southern]

Here's the difference, though. That joke was "you're an idiot." Our jokes are "I'm an idiot." Its on ourselves, not on anyone else. Nobody is out here thinking that Bartmanhomer is obsessed with numbers because Anonymouswizard made a self-depracating joke (y'all have both openly stated you're are on the spectrum, so I assume you dont mind me using you as examples. If you do, just let me know).

I am as well, and admittedly this might just be me but playing up the "haha autistic idiot reeee" bull**** is something I'm just sick up. It reflects poorly on all of us and the only way we're gonna normalize stuff like this is by stopping with self deprecating humour.

Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive because of how it reflects on me, and I'll admit to that. But that doesn't make me wrong.

enderlord99

2018-08-19, 05:39 PM

Making fun of me because I use a lot of details is objectively negative."Making fun of" something is equivalent to "saying it in a funny way" as far as I can tell. The "idiot" thing was negative before doing that, and stayed that way, to exactly the same extent, afterwards. If anything, that would indicate that the act of "making fun of" things doesn't make them more negative than they were before.
It's a stereotype, and regardless of them directing it at themselves it reflects on me.As someone for whom the stereotype not only applies, but does so accurately: you could have said it applied inaccurately to you during your original objection, rather than waiting until someone (by which I mean me) had erroneously assumed that you were getting involved with no real stake. Sorry about that, BTW.