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South Africa vs. England 2009/10 | So, from an English perspective a pretty satisfying tour. We'd have taken a draw beforehand!
However, the moral score is 3-1 to SA, and England, other than being happy with their spirited rearguards, should realise that there's still work to be done. Although the result in Durban was a massive boost, it highlights just how inconsistent the team can be.
Positives for England - Swann, Collingwood and Bell and Cook improving.
Negatives for England - Strauss, Pietersen and Trott were all very disappointing (bloody South Africans; no wonder you didn't want them ;) and i feel that the bowling unit badly misses someone with genuine pace (a la Flintoff or Harmison). When Steyn/Morkel/Parnell hit the groove they were irresistible.
Postives for SA - Parnell? Boucher certainly was impressive.
Negatives for SA - Ntini retiring with a whimper, Duminy?
How do the South Africans feel about the series? | 12 | [
{
"body": "As a South African, I'm a little disappointed with the way the series panned out. I feel we played to our strengths in the last Test, and it really showed on the field. Nonetheless, I sincerely believed that we could have and *should* have been able to get the last wicket in the fourth innings on two occasions, but we couldn't. For this reason, our bowling hostility towards the end of an innings needs to be looked at, but it's not a crisis; it's more a question of mindset. Also, I do realise that a team cannot be said to deserve a win unless they actually win, so congratulations to England for twice being able to force a draw in difficult circumstances, not to mention outplaying us in Durban. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Replace Strauss with Onions, because he's the only batsman we were unable to get out ;)\n\nFurther disappointment lies in the unnecessary controversy surrounding the series, especially the last game. Despite some great cricket *on* the field, the animosity *off* the field leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. As both a patriot and a scholar of the game, I don't appreciate my captain being labeled a \"cheater\" for the crime of standing his ground. If he did nick that infamous delivery and knew he nicked it - of which we can't be certain - then, in the name of honour, it would have been nice if he had walked, but again, we can't be sure. Ultimately I don't believe that, even with sound, the replays provide *comprehensive* evidence of an erroneous umpiring decision, which is what is required to overturn an on-field decision. What this means is that, in my mind at least, the entire controversy is over a moot point. Nonetheless, I have and continue to believe that the referral system is bad for cricket - especially Test cricket - and should not be adopted. Umpire fallibility has always been a part of the game, and part of what makes cricket as unique and fascinating as it is.\n\nBy the same token, I think SA did the right thing by not lodging an official complaint about Broad trodding on the ball (which I believe was unintentional), but De Villiers should not have sounded off about the incident to the press in the way he did. He's a great player and really a very nice guy, but he has a knack for not thinking before he speaks.\n\nDespite being a level series, I think England take more concerns away from it than SA does. KP is really having a tough time right now, and - aside from Swann - the bowlers seemed to lack potency. Colly was absolutely fantastic; a real champ.\n\nLastly, I'm very happy to see Boucher being as reliable as we've come to know him to be. One of our commentators (I believe it was Neil Manthorpe) said that Boucher is like an old guard dog: you just leave him alone and let him do things his own way, and he'll get the job done. He proved that to be true by coming agonisingly close to another Test century on a wicket which didn't appear to be the easiest in the world for batting. There have been some whispers going around lately that he should retire, and I think that's absolute madness; he's not only one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen ever to play the game, but also a veteran of 130+ Tests and you *do not* just throw away that kind of experience. I think if Gilchrist had not been around, Boucher would be much more of a \"celebrity\" cricketer than he is, but as it stands he still commands a lot of respect on and off the field as an elder statesman and a powerful warhorse.\n\nAs for our bowling, I couldn't be happier. I'd love to see Paul Harris regain some form, though. Anyway, Steyn has developed into a truly classic strategic fast bowler in a world where bowlers have come to attempt a wicket from every delivery. Morkel is a perfect partner to him, and I'm excited about Parnell. I know he hasn't exactly caused fireworks yet, but keep in mind that it was only his Test debut. I've seen him at the domestic level, and he's a genuine talent from whom I expect great things. When he comes to the party, our bowling attack will resemble the \"triple-threat\" we had years ago when we had Shaun Pollock, Alan Donald, and Ntini in his prime. Exciting times. The fact that all three of those bowlers vary from being useful batsmen to genuine all-rounders is an added bonus.\n\nI didn't mean for this comment to grow into a doctoral dissertation, but these are my thoughts. :)",
"score": 4
}
]
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What do you think of NASA selling adspace for their shuttles? | As introduced in another [thread](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/aqiqa/what_should_be_our_first_words_when_we_land_on/), this idea would give a much needed boost to NASA's funding. Would [this](http://www.christianguitar.org/forums/attachments/87366d1222473917-nasa_sponsors.jpg) be too high a price to pay? | 3 | [
{
"body": "> Would this be too high a price to pay?\n\nYes, probably.\n\nThe space shuttle's external fuel tank used to be painted white. But then they realized they could save an metric ass-ton of cash by not painting it. After all, the paint alone weighed 600 lbs (272 kg). Do you know how much it costs to get a pound into orbit? [It's about $10,000 per kg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_heavy_lift_launch_systems).\n\nSo by my quick math, painting the external fuel tank would cost about $3,000,000 (per launch). Of course this is a VERY rough estimate, and possibly an overestimate since the external fuel tanks & rocket boosters mass aren't lifted all the way into orbit (which is what the 10k$/kg figure assumes). But still, this does give a ballpark figure as to how ridiculous the overhead cost of painting the space-shuttle is.",
"score": 6
}
]
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This is it, Reddit. I am on the brink and seriously considering starting my life over. New state, new name (maybe), new everything. What are your suggestions and/or comments? Anyone else done this and have advice? | I am 21 and my life is not where I want it to be. It isn't even a fraction of what I want it to be. Over the last few years a snowballing chain of events has left me practically homeless (I have been bumming off of friends but have no place of my own, only a car), flat broke and constantly scrounging for money, stuck in a dead-end job, and generally unhealthy. My mental health is on the decline and I am constantly dealing with panic and anxiety attacks, episodes where I simply cannot focus my thoughts, and general depression. My physical health is on the decline as well, in terms of weight gain and hygiene, as I am in a sort of hermit phase right now.
I have a car that isn't in great condition, but I think it could get me to another state if I am careful with it. It's chock full of all of my belongings (save my computer, which I have hooked up at work and am trying to sell), mostly books and useless sentimental shit, the bulk of which I am considering donating to GoodWill before making this move.
I don't have any destination in mind, and I'd like to hear from all of you your opinions on various places you've lived, places with traditionally cheap rent, the sort of place I could easily root myself and start over. I expect this will be something more rural, which I do not mind.
I am also considering changing my name, probably just my surname. My family is a big part of why I am where I am, my father in particular. Years of bad decisions and neglect on his part have left me a very suspicious person and also instilled me with a lot of his bad habits: I don't trust people, the back of my mind always feels like everyone has an ulterior motive, etc.
Because of that I've also got this urge to disconnect myself from that part of my life entirely, changing my last name as part of my reboot. What sort of complications can arise from this? Anyone who's gone through the process, your comments are welcome.
How much money should I have in my pocket before I do this? Like I said I am flat broke, but I after I sell my stuff and take care of some other things I should have about $700 or so. I was planning to put most of that down as a deposit on a house some friends and myself are planning to rent, but I am afraid that, in two or three months, things will again go awry and I will not make my rent and end up back where I am now.
It's like I've told my various therapists: I'm not suicidal. I don't want to die. I just don't want this life anymore. So I figure I have to change it.
Comments/advice/suggestions please.
| 6 | [
{
"body": "If I were in your shoes, I would join the armed forces. You'll get a solid paycheck, roof over your head, you'll be doing a good service for your country, and you'll be able to use them to get future employment / schooling.\n\nPlus, you'll get in good shape, and chicks dig a guy in uniform.",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "''wherever you go, there you are''\r\n\r\nyou can't run away from all your unresolved emotional issues, they will affect your life no matter where you live ... it's not so much your outer surroundings which need to change, it's your inner life",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "I suggest going to the state with the current lowest unemployment rate. I'm guessing that might be texas?",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "I think it sounds really good in theory, a fresh start can be motivating. however, it can also be *hard* especially if you do not have support of friends or family. Look at it this way, you are where you are because of you and decisions you have made. I know it's easy to blame others in life, because you are young and yes, your parents have had a huge influence on where you are....However, the behaviors that have gotten you where you are need to change, otherwise you are going to find yourself in the same predicament whether you are in the same city or a thousand miles away. When we try and run away from our problems, we still are ourselves, and you can't run away from that.\n\nI am 28, so not much older than you but I have been thru a bit more life experience. What I can say is that it's usually not a good idea to make major life changes and decisions on whim. What is best is to make smaller changes, and have real thought out plans. \n\nIf you are on people's couches right now, and have a job you don't like, why do you think this would be any better, or be fixed, just by moving away? Are you in school? Have you thought about a trade school that can get you into a career in a shorter amount of time so that you can get a better paying job? I did LPN school in 9 months time, finished up my degree afterwards but in the meantime had a job that paid me $20/hr. I have a friend who did a year program to become a surgical tech. There are definitely options like that out there that can help you move forward in life and aren't some huge, life-changing decision that might not really solve your problems.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "it is possible to disappear without leaving the city you're in. where you are at now is at least is familiar territory and you do have friends. I had a friend who came from a rough family situation. he vowed one day he would disappear. he did. I heard later of his circumstances. didn't sound like he was much happier. I do know he let a few close friends down when he left.\n\nbtw there aren't too many 21 yo whose life is where they want it to be.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I can't see the need to change your name, unless you are in some kind of trouble (credit, law, etc).\n\nYou should be able to move nearly anywhere, and not have to deal with the people you are trying to avoid. Just go somewhere, get a PO box and use that, get a cell phone and you can just let the people you want to associate with to know how to catch you. Don't make any credit applications, and your contact info really won't be obtainable. Also, just while you are getting started, just rent a room from someone, don't worry about getting a whole apartment.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "> I don't have any destination in mind\n\nWhich means you are just looking to escape *from* instead of escaping *to*. You have a strong desire to change your life, why not change the hell out of it and research some careers first? Then find out which one you would like to pursue, and escape *to* it. \n\nThink of it like planning a prison break. Then follow your plan step-by-step.",
"score": 3
}
]
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New Stainless Steel Pan - Suggestions On Removing "Heat Tint" (Rainbow Colored Oxidation)? | I have been using pans from a very nice copper/stainless steel cook set that I received for Christmas. All the pans have had a rainbow-like oxidation (heat tint) on the cooking surface since their first use. I have read that high heat and/or starchy dishes can cause this to happen. I have been cooking lots of risotto (very starchy), but have never realy had the pans past "medium" heat.
Being a broke college kid, I don't really have the money to buy/keep buying stainless steel cleaner. Is there any other way to clean the oxidation off? Any way to prevent it? Thanks. | 10 | [
{
"body": "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Barkeepers Friend. Costs about three bucks at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's a powder; mix with a little water, and it'll sparkle like new.\n\nEdit:\n\nHere are some results of Barkeepers Friend. [This](http://imgur.com/BQWUe.jpg) is my saute pan, several years old. ([Close up here](http://imgur.com/4NOD3.jpg)).\n\nI found an [old pot](http://imgur.com/f7iWB.jpg) that had the rainbow oxidation on it, [here](http://imgur.com/5heaP.jpg) it is after 30 seconds of BKF.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Why do the pretty colors bother you? I am surprised they are not pre-tinted and extra expensive just so people can have cookware that has that veteran look.",
"score": 7
}
]
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Deadbeat bosses... IT salaried employees and overtime laws. | Reddit, I was wondering if the community could help me with a problem. My boss is a cheap ass mother fucker. The type that refuses to let a single dime slip through his fingers.
We are a team of IT consultants. I am on salary. I am in Texas.
We currently are leasing rack space at a colo and he figured it would save him some money if we moved the servers into our own cage, within the same colo.
This past weekend and the weekend before, we were required to make this move and was told that attendance was mandatory.
We asked about compensation and he gave us the classic "I hope that we could do this as a team and as a team help the company."
He made all ten of his employees work two 24+ hour days to move these servers, with no compensation.
Surely this must be illegal.
| 7 | [
{
"body": "> \"I hope that we could do this as a team and as a team help the company.\"\n\nTo which your reply is: \"The day the landlord thinks we should work as a team and my groceries are part of a big plan to make a better America and are distributed for the same amount you're paying, I'm not going to ask for more compensation. Until that day though I can't afford to work for free.\"",
"score": 6
}
]
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Dear redditors, have you by chance watched a amatuer sex clip of some one you know on any of those sites available ? | Most of the porn movies that's online now a days is amatuer guys who shoot it @ home or through their phone etc.
have you ever by chance watched one, with any one you know in it ?
I mean, whats the reaction like from you or them ! ??
edit1: well i saw one of those last week and the girl resembled one i know! But didn't dare to ask her !!!! :p | 9 | [
{
"body": "Well kind of, I had broken up with my girlfriend and was going on a date with a girl i'd met recently (There was a reasonable period of time between these events). Anyway, the day of the date my ex rings up and says \"Oh, I just happened to find a sex video of that girl you're seeing\" and then described it to me in detail. Turned out that her and an ex-boyfriend of hers had decided to try out a new camera phone and it'd gone viral in my city.\n\nNow the last thing anyone wants is to hear about the girl you're into having sex with another dude, and to top it off, it's described to you by your ex-girlfriend.\n\n\nActually that video just kept popping up over and over again. In my biology class the guys I hung out with passed over a phone with it playing, and introducing her to any of my friends resulted in a \"dude, i dunno how to tell you this, but there's a - uh - video of her going around...\"",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "One of my past employers appears in a porn movie in a non sex role.... He runs away from a girl with a strap on.\n\n",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "i worked with a colombian guy for a year, he was my supervisor. he hit on/sexually harassed a lot of girls around work and was kind of a dick but at the same time pretty dorky. about a year after he quit i found a porno video randomly on the internet and it was pretty obvious it was him. it was pretty embarrassing to watch, almost like it was his first time or he didn't know what he was doing at all. it was called \"rookie male\"...yea..\n\nso i did what any person would do, i showed it to some of his former coworkers.",
"score": 3
}
]
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The folks at Answers In Genesis believe in dragons. No seriously...this is not a metaphor. They actually believe in dragons. | http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/what-happened-to-the-dinosaurs
I find this especially interesting. According to them, this is evidence for the existence of dragons
>Are There Other Ancient Records of Dinosaurs?
In the film The Great Dinosaur Mystery,24 a number of dragon accounts are presented:
A Sumerian story dating back to 2000 BC or earlier tells of a hero named Gilgamesh, who, when he went to fell cedars in a remote forest, encountered a huge vicious dragon that he slew, cutting off its head as a trophy.
When Alexander the Great (c. 330 BC) and his soldiers marched into India, they found that the Indians worshipped huge hissing reptiles that they kept in caves.
China is renowned for its dragon stories, and dragons are prominent on Chinese pottery, embroidery, and carvings.
England and several other cultures retain the story of St. George, who slew a dragon that lived in a cave.
There is the story of a tenth-century Irishman who wrote of his encounter with what appears to have been a Stegosaurus.
In the 1500s, a European scientific book, Historia Animalium, listed several living animals that we would call dinosaurs. A well-known naturalist of the time, Ulysses Aldrovandus, recorded an encounter between a peasant named Baptista and a dragon whose description fits that of the small dinosaur Tanystropheus. The encounter was on May 13, 1572, near Bologna in Italy, and the peasant killed the dragon.
Petroglyphs (drawings carved on rock) of dinosaurlike creatures have also been found.25
In summary, people down through the ages have been very familiar with dragons. The descriptions of these animals fit with what we know about dinosaurs. The Bible mentions such creatures, even ones that lived in the sea and flew in the air. There is a tremendous amount of other historical evidence that such creatures have lived beside people.
| 27 | [
{
"body": "Gilgamesh is history now? Perhaps we could eliminate all this fundamentalist nonsense just by explaining the concept of \"fiction\" to these people.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "There is a story of a dragon being killed in the bible itself. All biblical realists believe in dragons.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "i've often thought that dinosaurs look remarkably similar to dragons, and my theory was that ancient people found dinosaur fossils and imagined what those creatures would have looked like, and incorporated them into their mythology",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "why is this surprising? they believe in a bearded sky wizard ruling a magical kingdom in the clouds. dragons fit in with those archetypes.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "As someone who is interested in the etymology of chinese \"dragons\" (they're in inverted commas, because by and large chinese academics do not consider them dragons the way the western world does, as there are other equivalents to a western dragon. Likewise, indian scholars too, by and large do not consider nagas to be equivalent to dragons), I must say, I rage at the fact that everyone keeps considering chinese dragons to be.. dragons the way the western world thinks - evil, malign, etc.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "They believe in gods, why not dragons too? Once you decide to believe in fantasy, you might as well draw the line between fantasy and reality wherever you want it.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "We're surprised the religious believe in Dragons? They believe a cracker turns into the flesh of guy who never existed when they say a few Latin phrases. \n\nKeep up the good fight. Love the post. But, this isn't *news*.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Although their belief is silly, the fact that so many cultures had thier own version of the dragon has always interested me. There is an excellent bit of anthropology/ archeology there just waiting to be done. The \"dinosaur bone\" theory does seem to make the most sense, but I would love to dedicate an academic lifetime to just this topic. ",
"score": 3
}
]
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I'm not suicidal, but I'm feeling horrible. | I recently met the girl I'd like to spend the rest of my life with. She's plain out amazing, and she feels the same about me. My parents, who are hardly supportive of anything I do, don't like her. They've gone through the measures of not letting me see her (I'm a senior in High School), on the days that I actually have spare time. I have basketball everyday, even on most Saturday's, so I have no spare time except Sundays, which I'm usually 'grounded' by my parents for some indirect reason that's plain out ridiculous: eg. getting a 'B' on a reading quiz for AP Lit. I feel like my lack of seeing her (it's been almost two weeks now) is going to have her lose interest in me; ultimately losing her altogether. She's not a hardcore girl, my parents are just extremely controlling and like to take away what's most important to me.
Speaking of her, I'm also in another issue: she drinks. When she drinks, she drinks a lot. This has recently (before I met her) led to sex and a blowjob with two disgusting guys, respectively. She's promised me she'll not try to get drunk, and she's been keeping it so far (by not going full out shitfaced), but I really want full assurance. I know I can't handle any drunk sex 'accidents' while I'm with her, and I've brought it up to her plenty of times. I've had plenty of alcoholics in my family, and I don't want her to end up the same.
I know I'm a pussy compared to other people here, and especially the kids in Haiti; but I just needed to get it off my chest. I got so angry I punched a hole completely through the drywall in my house; cutting my hand up and injuring my wrist pretty bad. My hand got stuck somewhat inside the wall, if that tells you anything how angry I was at another lost weekend with the girl I'm beginning to love. | 12 | [
{
"body": "You are a senior in HS- so at most 5 months until you graduate and can move on with you life. I'm assuming you are headed to college since you are in AP Lit? I know that August seems like it is ages away, but hang in there. Have you tried talking with your parents about why they don't want you to see her?\n\nTell your girl exactly what you told us- that your parents are controlling and not getting to see her is driving you up the wall. She is much less likely to lose interest if she knows why you can't see her and that you still care in spite of that.\n\nI ruined my last semester in HS pining over a guy- I know love is really powerful, but please don't let your frustration with a crappy situation keep you from enjoying the good parts of life. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "What do kids in Haiti have to do with your problems?\n\nFirst issue many people have is minimizing their own problems by comparing themselves to others. Don't do that.",
"score": 3
}
]
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So I'm gonna have to quit my job... | Next month I have a court trial, it's actually a preliminary trial. It's supposed to last something like 4 weeks and then the actual trial is gonna start right after that. I'm currently working full time at a job that really wouldn't be that bad if my boss wasn't such a fucking idiot.
Now here's the deal, no one at my place of employment knows about this upcoming trial and this trial is actually for things I'm accused of doing long before I ever started working there. No one there would probably believe me even if I told them. I'm a model employee and was even given a plaque and a gift card for being 2009's employee of the year. With this upcoming trial I'm going to have no choice but to quit; there's a very real possibility that this will be a long trial and if I'm found guilty I may also end up going to prison.
My question to you Reddit, is how should I quit? I have ruled out the possibility of giving a two week notice, for two reasons, 1) it would raise a lot of questions and 2) I don't want to have to train a replacement. I have no problem with being fired or even leaving on bad terms as company policy dictates that once a person has quit they can never be hired back. So please give me some suggestions. | 4 | [
{
"body": "I know everyone wants to know what I've done or what I'm accused of doing but I simply cant give out any details at this time. I can say this, what I did is not as bad as what I'm being accused of. It is for this reason I can't simply plead guilty and move on with my life. What I'm being charged with is a crime far beyond what I am responsible for and the punishment would in no way be just. I am forced to fight these charges and because of that I'm going to be drawn into a long court battle which I may not win. My lawyer is legal aid, as I would have no chance without a lawyer and a real lawyer would cost me over 100 grand, or so I've been told. Quitting my job in stunning fashion may be the last fun thing I get to do for a long time, please Reddit, help me with this...",
"score": 3
}
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I am a world barista champion, and run a coffee roastery in London. AMA | I've been in coffee for a few years now, won the World Barista Championships in 2007. Started a coffee roastery not long afterwards got to travel the world doing coffee stuff.
Happy to answer any coffee related questions, or anything at all really. And yes - there really are global competitions for making coffee! | 116 | [
{
"body": "I brew foldger's crystals in a 15 year old coffee machine that has never been cleaned, then add copious amounts of cream & sugar. Do I have what it takes to be a world barista champion?",
"score": 24
},
{
"body": "* With all of your coffee-related knowledge and experience, what do you think of Starbucks coffee (both their regular brewed stuff and their espresso-based drinks)?\r\n* How much coffee do you actually drink personally, and how have those habits changed since getting into professional coffee-making?\r\n* What coffee beverages do you drink at home (ie. lattes, espressos, regular brewed coffee, etc), and how do you make them (ie. french press, basic espresso machine, enormous hardcore espresso machine, etc)?\r\n* Do/can you make those nifty pictures/shapes in the foam on your cappuccinos, and is it an important part of competitions like the ones in which you compete?\r\n\r\nEDIT: Added fourth question.",
"score": 9
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{
"body": "You git! Reading this made me need to try some coffee, and I'm in the UK, so it's 2:30 AM and I'll now be awake for ages.\n\nUsing my cafetiere I made up two brews. The first using [Illy](http://www.aromatico.co.uk/illy-coffee-espresso-n-055lb-grounded-p-60.html), the second using Taylor's of Harrogate [Café Imperial](http://www.taylorsofharrogate.co.uk/coffeeitem.asp?itmid=590).\n\nAs straight black coffees I find there's some difference between them, but when I add milk they become completely different to one another. The Illy is chocolatey with bitter notes, whereas the ToH is a light and smooth coffee flavour with some vanilla/almond smells if you really try.\n\nI far prefer the latter, and wanted to ask if there are any recommendations you would make based on the above for coffees I should try. I have a grinder, but it's not a burr grinder and it's a bit old, so I buy ready ground. I don't know if you can recommend specific shops/chains to go to on the basis of this, but is there any type of coffee I should specifically ask for?\n\nAlso, thanks for the tip about removing the froth on top before pressing, the first cup was a lot cleaner than usual.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I'm actually considering looking for a job as a barista. My home town has a nice local chain of about ten or so coffee houses, all fair trade and similar. \n\nThere are a few things I was wondering though, what is the youngest you would hire (I'm sixteen and all the baristas I've seen seem to be in their early twenties) and what sort of experience, other than barista-ing, would you be looking for? Also, how did you start out? Any advice would be great.\n\nP.S. What do you think of the whole fair trade movement? Is it just a gimmick, or does it actually contribute to social change for the better in impoverished, coffee producing places? ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "So I have never liked coffee. I like the idea of coffee, and I like the concept. Most of the time it smells great. I just don't like the taste.\n\nWhat's the best starter-coffee to get me adjusted?\n\nI live in London too, so feel free to point out places.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Hey, thanks for the IamA!\n\nDoes your Coffee roastery have high ratings among the industry in london? I'm not sure on specific ratings systems used (5 stars etc) so an explanation about how rating even works would be nice. Is there a regulated world-wide rating system for all coffee roasteries?\n\n\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "What are the best places for espresso in London?\n\nHave you ever made a 'god shot'? If so, how regularly do you manage it?",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "i heard that in italy, if you worked as a barista, you spend the first two years just learning how to froth milk. is this true?",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I see that you said you're using a Hario grinder for home use, but you also said you like French Press coffee. \n\nI'm interested in french press coffee for the quality, I'm using an Aeropress right now, and while I do like the quality of coffee it produces I'd like something that is a little fancier looking (har har) So I'm looking at a french press. But the grinder I have cannot produce coarse grounds very well, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on a nice conical burr grinder. And a manual grinder sounds great to me.\n\nWould you recommend the Hario hand grinder for french press coffee? \nI've heard that the grind is too inconsistent on coarser ground, and doesn't do well for french press.\n\nI just don't think that drip coffee does high quality coffee justice, and I feel like a blasphemer when I do it, Folgers is good enough for Mr. Coffee.\n\nAlso, I have to say your idea of infusing tobacco in a drink is amazing, I've never heard of the flavor of tobacco being used in a drink before. I was really impressed by that, using a non-edible item only for it's flavor by infusing it in cream is pretty neat. But then again, I guess that's the whole idea behind coffee and tea... \nDoes the tobacco infusion leave kind of a tingly sensation in your mouth like chewing tobacco?",
"score": 3
}
]
|
problem with adsense | So I logged into my adsense account about 5 days ago to check for clicks on my ads, and found that Adsense didn't show any hits. Naturally, I went to my Analytics account to see if there had indeed been traffic (I don't have much traffic), and found that I had a relatively sizeable amount of traffic.
I checked my email to see if there had been any problems with my account, but haven't received an email from Google. I haven't received a notification on my account either, other than asking me to re-enter my PIN for my account (which they say they will send through the mail).
Is my site under investigation from Google? I don't click my own ads, I don't have questionable content. I don't think I've violated any TOS.
Has anyone else encountered this problem? What should I do? | 9 | [
{
"body": "might want to verify the ad code that is on your site, is actually for your account. someone could of broken in and replaced your ad code with theirs.\n\ngood luck.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "You sure you arent just getting traffic from bots? Google filters out their own bots and bots of their competitors. \n\nOn top of that, are you seeing 0 traffic on adsense, or just very little?",
"score": 3
}
]
|
walked in for some butane, walked out with a new piece. | so i went into my local headshop today to buy a new can of butane for my Vector lighter. as always, when i go in i always browse around the shop for anything that might catch my eye, and today something finally did (that didn't have a price sticker on it that gave me a heartattack). won't have a chance to try it out till late tonight, but am definatally looking forward to breaking it in so to speak :)
http://figglet.imgur.com/my_pieces | 6 | [
{
"body": "It looks awesome, what did it cost you? And tell us how it is when you have had some time to try it :)",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What's your guilty pleasure? | For those who don't know, something that you'd be embarrassed to admit you enjoy. For me it's...gah...30 Seconds to Mars. Their music is *just so damn catchy!* | 28 | [
{
"body": "I get really drunk sometimes and watch the Susan Boyle video, I dream a dream. I then cry like a baby. The next day when I wake up, I think to myself, God, I'm such a fag.",
"score": 46
},
{
"body": "Reddit. I should be doing work at home. I should be doing work at work. Instead, I am hanging out with you guys.",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "I like to squish the baked goods at the grocery store. You know, like the danishes and pastries in the cello wrappers in the bakery department. It's not like I go out of my way to do it but if I'm near them I can't resist squishing a couple of those fuckers. The jelly filled ones are the most pleasurable.",
"score": 18
},
{
"body": "It was going to be rape, but I was acquitted, so I guess you could refer to it as an *acquitted* pleasure.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "The occasional big mac! I know they are not good for me but dammit I cant help myself! Only 1 or 2 a month though!",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "I once cried and have been close many times watching Extreme Home Makeover. Thats fine and all.. If you're a girl..",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Country Music, and I don't mean Johnny Cash ( although I do LOVE him) I mean like the \"terrible\" pop country Kenny Chesny, Keith Urban kind of country. Country top 40, I fucking love it. It's embarrassing I know. I'm also an atheist, and very liberal, my friends don't understand, I don't either. \n\nI also love Ice Cream more than the average person, but I don't find it's embarrassing to admit.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "big macs. i love big macs. only allow myself one a year though because, damn. those fuckers will kill you. shit. i think i missed out on my big mac of '09. dammit!",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Giant robot shows and their music.\n\nI watch *The Super Dimension Fortress Macross* pretty much yearly; the combination of poorly-drawn robots that turn into poorly-drawn planes set to poorly-composed 80s Jpop is somehow irresistible to me.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Kraft Dinner. I frown upon microwave dinners, I shy away from canned soup, but I cannot help myself in that one respect. No matter how sophisticated I think my taste is, I'll still eat it.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Shojo manga. The ones with really stupid plots and evil girls. It has no substance...but everyone always falls in love and it ends happily! I get made fun of for this all the time. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Besides Reddit? Hmmm, I suppose it would be solo-drinking while watching Star Trek TNG eps on DVD. Also, french-bread pizza.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Taylor Swift. This is especially painful to admit when I listen to a lot of pop punk and screamo and The Beatles (weird music taste, I know).",
"score": 3
}
]
|
I'm trying to ask her out, but I just can't do it. I really need some advice. | Background:
throwaway account (but long time redditor)
I'm 36 and have never had a serious relationship with a woman.
---
I work with a really wonderful woman. We talk all the time, have a lot in common and I'm kinda? sure she likes me, but not really sure. I have a crush on her and want to ask her out but every time I try, I just fail at it and never ask.
I did tell a mutual friend that I liked her but left it at that. I didn;'t want to seem creepy or try to get info or anything childish like that - I just kinda out it out there. I have no idea if the mutual friend said anything to her.
Normally, in the past, I've come on too strong so I've just tried to let things be natural. Everyday her and I work together I show her a funny/cute picture on my iPod and we have a good laugh and spend time walking around the store (retail chain store) and we have a nice time.
Anyway, I really want to ask her out - though I'm not sure if I should ask her out on a date or just for like coffee or something lite. Also, it's been a long time since I even liked someone that I'm just scared to be turned down and then feel alone again.
Any advice? | 18 | [
{
"body": "Hey. **HEY.**\n\nYou're 36 years old. Bleeding this information strategically is something girls do in middle school. Why is this information relevant to the friend?\n\nIt's not. It's relevant to *her,* and you owe it to *her* and most importantly you owe it to *yourself* to make sure you get it out there and at least give it a shot. Your problem in the past wasn't that you came on too strong. It's that you came on without the balls to back it up. Sack up, prove to yourself that you *deserve* the plumbing nature gave you.\n\nYou are a fully grown man, capable of acting like an adult. You want something, you go for it. Why? Because you *fucking want it, don't you?*\n\nSo here's how it's gonna work: you and I are going to do this. We are going to ask her out on a date. You clearly know her already, due to the insane amount of time (and unfortunately, the insane amount of supplication) you've given to her. There really is no need for a small talk interview date like coffee.\n\n\"Hey, I want to take you somewhere. You free to watch a movie this weekend?\" Or instead of \"watch a movie\" you pick some other activity. This isn't that hard.\n\nWhat's she gonna do, say \"no?\" Welp, whatever. Back where you started, right? You can pick up where you left off. And for seriousness? It sounds like you're only sharing these pictures and shit to try and get her to go out with you. That's kind of wack.\n\nListen, dude, about the loneliness thing? You don't have to be alone. Ever. You see people every day. On the sidewalk, in the mall you work at. Shit like that. There is a price to pay for having friends *and* girlfriends. It's called \"getting yourself out there.\" And you are so willing to pay that, because it fucking sucks when you don't. Right? Right.\n\nBut I've got a nagging concern. She **is** approximately your age, right?",
"score": 40
},
{
"body": "A universally accepted way of hinting that you are interested in a lady is by being just a tiny bit nosy. That is, at least, a bit nosier than the typical acquaintance. \n\nJust be casual and easygoing (as you usually are) and ask her, \n\n*\"...Doing anything after work tonight?\"*\n\nTiming is important too. The best time to pose such question might be after the both of you share a hearty laugh over an amusing story, and endorphins are firing in both your brains. \n\nIf a girl fancies you, she will respond to your proposition with an opening for you to ask her out. Maybe something like,\n\n*\"I'm not doing anything. What are you doing?\"*\n\nIf the girl doesn't like you she may quickly tell you that she is busy. It's very important to keep in mind that sometimes a girl is genuinely busy and isn't blowing you off. So don't be disheartened if she tells you she's busy. Just ignore she said it, pretend the exchange never happened, and go about your usual day. \n\nThen in two or three days, ask her again, \n\n*\"Doing anything fun tonight?\"*\n\nThe beauty of this method is that it's really lowkey. Technically you aren't asking her on a date. You're asking her what she's doing. This is the type of thing girls love. It's subtle and kind of mysterious, and by using this method you should be able to determine if she wants you to ask her out or not. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Dude, if there was one piece of advice I could have given myself 30 years ago it would be this: do not be ruled by fear. Sure, everyone has fears and you should pay attention to them, but don't let them run your life. Ask her out. If you're nervous, and that's totally normal, then maybe coffee or something light is best. Don't be afraid to ask her out, and don't be afraid to let her know that you like her. If you're rejected, you might be down for a few days but it won't destroy you. If it does, then you need therapy.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Ok. Female point of view:\n\nShe so badly wants to go out with you. I know this. She told me. Girls talk. *sigh* Take a deep breath. *Pretend* you're really confident. Just fake it. Fake it til ya make it. And you will. Very casually ask her if she wants to grab a coffee after work. Insist on paying. That is really important. It sends a subtle message that you are viewing this as more than friends. When it get's to the point that it's ending, you finish with, \"This was nice. I'm glad we did this. How bout we kick it up a notch and next time go for drinks? (lunch, dinner, a play you've heard about, etc)\" If you haven't yet exchanged numbers, offer her yours or your email. Don't text or write her in the middle of the night. Creepy. Ok to send her a brief text or note in an hour making a joke that reflects something from the conversation or to say it was really nice to see her outside of \"The Plant\".\n\ntl;dr She wants to go out as much as you do. Act confident and you will be. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Ever feel like giving up? | I feel so frustrated and lost right now. Everything seems to be going downhill in my life... I feel like I don't know what to do anymore or how to make myself feel better, I just want to give up. Does anyone have any advice?
Thank you so much reddit for all of your advice. I decided to change some things in my life and now I am seeing everything in a positive way. Thanks a lot everyone | 33 | [
{
"body": "Just start with getting out of bed in the morning. Everyday above ground is a good day. There are good times and there are bad times. Now is the bad times. Now you are paying for the good times but the good times are coming. Ask people for whatever help you need and most of the time you'll get it. Fortitude, Brotha! Have the patience to endure and you will see the light. Take care of yourself. ",
"score": 30
},
{
"body": "Go to bed earlier. Seriously. I used to feel run down all the time and I didn't give a shit about anything. I just felt like I was going through the motions of my life and nothing mattered. Then I stopped staying awake til 1 or 2am every night and went to bed around 9 or 10. Now I wake up easily and I have a ton of energy and enthusiasm throughout the day. I have a better attitude and I get along better with people I interact with. Even the ladies take more notice of me because I'm more outgoing and have the wits to hold a decent conversation.",
"score": 29
},
{
"body": "Your goal for the next 3 months is to do as many pushups, pullups, and situps as you can in one continuous set. Research on the internet the best way to go about it.\n\nEDIT: I recommend the [Armstrong Pullup Program](http://www.4mcd.usmc.mil/AOP/OSOHyattsville/Armstrong%20Pullup%20Program.htm)",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "First and foremost, it may be wise to contact a mental health provider or practitioner. Secondly, contact a different mental health provider. \nThirdly, compare their diagnosis with yours. \n\nDid I ever feel like giving up? Absolutely.",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "Feel like it? Every second of every day.Consider it as a viable option? Not since I've gone into debt, it would mean either: \n\na) being homeless (and thus cold as shit, unless I relocate somewhere warm)\n\nb) living off the grid (which I don't know how to do so just as much work)\n\nor c) being a douchebag and taking from other people unjustly (which, because I have an inner-voice that says don't be a dick, I just can't)\n\nso I end up just doing it and not liking it all that much because it's much easier than the alternatives",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "http://onlinemotivator.info/ - spend some time playing around on that.\nThen watch Al Pacino's speech from Any Given Sunday.\n\nLife's hard and shitty sometimes. And lonely alot. But not trying to sound crappy or anything but there is soo much good out there too ... watch the rocky speech to his son as well - you can find them easy on youtube.\nHope it helps :)",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "* I am curious about the world.\n\n* I've made it this far, so why stop?\n\n* I would like to leave behind more of a positive influence on the world than what I have done already.\n\n* I want to spite other people by being more awesome than them.\n\nAlso, I agree with one of the other posters. Join the Peace Corps, or something similar. If you don't want to use your life for yourself, why not use it for others?",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Man you have no idea how bad it is when you are forced to try hanging on only because you are too scared how bad suicide will hurt.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "As my Grandfather tells me whenever I'm having rough times, \"When you stay down, you're beat. As long as you keep getting up you will eventually win\". Im not having an especially easy time in life right now but I can say this advice is pretty good. I can look back at several times over the years when I feel like you do now - then I can look at all of the insanely great things that happened AFTER I felt that way. Here's an idea I'm toying with lately - how about giving up all the things that don't work (jobs, relationship, schedules, geographic location, etc) instead of giving up in general? I'm still figuring out how that might work and what such a solution might look like but I think its a promising idea. Personally, I find much of my own problems come from repeatedly beating my head against the same wall, maybe its time to find something else to do?",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "What is frustrating you? What is making you feel lost? \r\n\r\nGoing to make a long story short here. A few years back I had a stillborn baby. I got hooked on antidepressants and benzo's (xanax, valium) after that. The medication made it even worse, more impossible to ever have real happiness. I would have rebound anxiety when the meds started to wear off. After a few years of this I had to go to rehab to get off the xanax, I was THAT dependant on it. The 6 months after getting off I just had so much depression. No happiness and I wanted to die because I thought I was never going to feel better. I slept a lot, hardly had any motivation to go grocery shopping, take a shower, it was that bad. Thru a lot of group therapy, and support from family and friends I got thru it. It took some work to take the steps to get my life back together and learn the tools on how to have a productive life.\r\n\r\nIt takes some work to get out of depression, and it also just plain takes some time. Sometimes time does heal, sometimes we've gotten ourselves into problems, hard times, ruts...that we need to do the work to get out of.\r\n\r\nThe biggest help in my recovery was asking for help. You shouldn't have to do it alone. The two biggest things that helped me through everything was good therapy (cognitive behavioral, also small group) and starting an exercise program. Eating right and sleeping enough also take some active work, but trust me, it helps and it's worth it. It's a slower process than just popping meds doctors give you. \r\n\r\nIf you do go to the doctor, try exercise, therapy and some behavioral changes before going on the medication merry-go-round.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Most everyone I know has felt like this, more than once. Trust that you can get through this. Go see your doctor; this may be a problem that medical treatment can help. Do whatever you can to get through each day, and each day try to do something that may help you feel even a little better. Finally, tell yourself you won't listen to the part of your brain saying you are nothing; listen to the part trying to remind you who you are and what you're capable of. You are huma5555.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Graph Theory in LaTeX | Is there a program I can use to draw a directed graph and have it output code to create the graph using some LaTeX package? | 15 | [
{
"body": "TikZ is a great package.\n\nWhile I'm not doing graph theory, I do use it for state machines which are essentially the same thing to draw.\n\nCheck out http://www.texample.net/tikz/examples/state-machine/",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "I like [inkscape](http://www.inkscape.org/screenshots/index.php?lang=en) for drawing diagrams in papers.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Graphviz might be of some help. It doesn't output directly to LaTeX but it does support eps, ps, svg and more.\n\nWebsite: [Graphviz](http://www.graphviz.org/Documentation.php)",
"score": 3
}
]
|
IAmA bookseller in a big-box bookstore. AMAA. | I have worked for Barnes & Noble for going on 4 years. When I started, I was only customer service, but now I work on the floor as well as handle gift product, as well as what goes on "behind the scenes" in receiving. Ask me almost anything!
EDIT: this is a good [tl;dr](http://graphjam.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/funny-graphs-book-requests.jpg) for this IAmA | 14 | [
{
"body": "What authors or books do you hate to hear the name of in a question because of the type of people that tend to ask those questions?",
"score": 3
}
]
|
How do I wean myself onto spicy food? | I'm 23 now and have lived my life thus far unable to taste the least spicy of foods (I sometimes have a problem with sweet chilli too, depending on the manufacturer) My mother always hated spicy foods and would never serve/eat it, so I've been brought up this way I suppose.
It severely limits my ability to share meals with my friends and can often be a waste of money when buying curry or most thai dishes (their mild is not my mild)
How would you suggest I begin my journey of getting used to spicy food and eventually turning it into something I'd enjoy? | 12 | [
{
"body": "when you eat spicy foods, have some sour cream, yogurt, bread, milk etc with you, so you can eat some of the spice, then soothe it. you also need to adjust to the hot taste- the burning/tingling on your tongue, eye watering etc is part of it, so once you are comfortable with that reaction, you'll be able to work up to hotter things. \n\nalso, make sure the foods you are sampling aren't too temperature hot. temperature hot + too spicy can be really brutal. \n\ncan you eat raw onions/garlic in food? or is that spice too much? ",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "I've noticed that it is partly psychological, you have to enjoy the burn. Once you do, your tolerance builds and the hot sauce that crippled you last year is barely detectable. There is definitely a sado aspect to it but... ITS SO GOOD WHEN IT BURNS. I think its an endorphin thing.",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "Being from south Louisiana it's like you're speaking another language. I've been eating spicy food since I was in diapers. \n\nBut really, the only way is the way I started; just keep eating it. Indian and Thai are great foods to get used to it, as well as Cajun food if you can get real Cajun food. You'll eventually be able to enjoy the heat. There is no easy way, just keep doing it until you can take it. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Eat onions & garlic, then banana peppers, pepperocini, then a nice pico made with some jalapeno. Work your way into it. Get some butter chicken, it's Indian and they can make it as mild or spicy as you want. They also have raitha, which is a yogurt that soothes the spice if its too hot. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "This might seem a little ridiculous, but why wean? Why not try some **really** hot stuff? Dip the tip of a toothpick into some really hot hot-sauce (here's a [cheap example](http://www.hotsauce.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=1210MDR&click=2704)) and roll it onto your tongue. \n\nYou'll spend a rather uncomfortable ten or twenty minutes, but once you've survived it, curry and most Thai dishes will seem quite mild.\n\nEdit: I am, of course, mostly joking. Mostly.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Your story sounds like mine, except I now enjoy the spicy side to the point I scare people with my Tabasco use.\n\nDon't do any really hot stuff at first, avoid habenero and Siracha. Tapatio and Valentino are two good sauces with lots of flavor for the heat, also try cheap Louisiana style sauces, Jalepeno, and Frank's Red Hot (big misnomer). Once you get accustomed to the heat, you can finally start tasting the delightful flavors.\n\nTake your time with your sauces at home, and don't be afraid to ramp it up slowly. One drop of Tabasco in a pot of chili used to kill me, now I wouldn't even notice several dashes.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Get a bottle of sriracha and put it on everything. But start off gradually. Like a drop or two to build up your taste-resilience before a squeeze or two. \n\nTrust me this stuff goes a long way... Great on eggs, noodles, sandwiches, pizza, chicken, you name it. Like I said... moderation.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I used to hate hot/spicy foods... I started my chilli obsession with sweet chili sauce and sour cream on fries/wedges or nachos. After a while I was able to handle tabasco, and then I discovered sriracha. Now sriracha is like ketchup to me... I don't even think of it as a hot sauce.\n\n\n\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I'm very white. I fluoresce under certain conditions. I've been trying to eat spicy food for years and haven't build any sort of tolerance. Some people can, some can't. If, like me, you can't, rest assured that at least you'll need a lot less spice to make an impact on your meal.\n\nMy mom doesn't like spicy food at all. I believe it's partially hereditary whether or not you can withstand it.\n\nAt any rate, the point of food isn't to hurt.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
talking to strangers | i was just walking home from a club when this guy asked me for some papers. so i was like yeah, do you have some hash? and he said yeah, follow me. first mistake.
followed him into some shady apartment hallway, mad drunk, where he tried to sell me some chocolate for 40 euros. so i was like nah man comon, he already had my 40 euro. so he gave me 20 back. i followed him outside and he agreed to give me my other twenty back if i gave him 5 euro for some booze. so he gave me that. then we parted ways
then he yelled hey hey, and he had my wallet! gave it back to me. what a nice guy. but all my money was missing. so he left. i figured i lost like 40 euro total. then some car approaches me.
guy says he is some undercover cop, but all in french. tells me to get in the car. im like nah man jesus. so he radios all these people asking me all these questions. im mad drunk, no idea what they are saying. i was trying to buy hash so im not trying to pursue the matter. they keep asking me these questions and finally i say i just want to go home, whatever, and they let me go.
jesus fucking christ. i want to come home and buy weed from my friends.
also, i'm an idiot.
so thursday night i talked to strangers and i got robbed.
tonight i talked to strangers at a strange apartment i was at. they were cool, they smoked me up and said hed sell me some tomorrow. i got in their car and they took me to a gay dance club (no homo). then we left. then i left and peed on the city hall building where these two dudes were
then those two dudes told me to follow them. so i did. they took me to this secret restaurant you have to have a special card for, got me a card, and somehow i got this super nice steak dinner at two in the morning for free, with lots of wine. then i went to their apartment. then i met all these baller bohemian type people. and smoked some hash.
talk to strangers!
| 3 | [
{
"body": "> talk to strangers!\n\nI spotted for a guy at the gym in Kailua (no homo), pretty crazy looking guy with long hair, covered in tattoos. He gets to talking, and pretty soon he's filling me in on the past 20 years of his life (since he turned 18), 15 of which have been spent in San Quentin. Shows me more tattoos (no homo), finally culminating in a giant swastika on his shoulder, which he says is from when he was (allegedly briefly) a member of the Aryan Nation.\n\nAlso gave some sage advice on how to survive in prison, fend off a shiv, and the best place to get steroids (Chihuaha, Mexico)\n\nHey Batch!",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Married/Engaged redditors? How long were you together before marriage? | Hey guys,
I was just curious how long you were with your significant other before the question was popped? Were you friends first, or, did you start dating immediately? | 7 | [
{
"body": "We were together about two months when we moved in together, 2.5 years when he first popped the question, and 6 years when I finally agreed.\n\nWe are on our 18th year right now.\n\nEdit - \n>Were you friends first, or, did you start dating immediately?\n\nErm... we worked together, and it started as a lust thing. One of those deals where you tell the universe \"just let me play with his body a little while, and I will put it back when I am done\". Never dreamed that it would turn into what it has.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Engaged after 6 weeks, married after 3 months. Still together 35 years later...as a matter of fact, today is our anniversary!",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Jealous about a guy she slept with immediately before getting together with me | My gf and I have been together for about five months now. Everything is OK apart from one thing that has been nagging at my mind for ages.
We both liked each other for a while but didn't admit it (it's complicated). Then one afternoon we went for a walk and ended up admitting it and kissing (just kissing) which was one of the happiest moments in my recent memory. We both agreed we needed to think carefully about where to go from there and that there was some danger that it might not work out (it's complicated) so we avoided each other for the weekend, then when we saw each other again on the monday we both realised it was the right thing to do and were officially together from then.
About a month after that, she admitted to me that the Friday when we had first kissed, she had met up with an old college friend for drinks, they had kissed before a few times but never slept with each other, and he was actually seeing another girl at the time, but they ended up having sex (ie he cheated on his girlfriend with the girl I am now seeing). She said she massively regretted it and hated herself for doing it, and I was pissed off at him for being a cheating douche,and her for letting him be one, and also because the day I thought was so special (our first kiss) evidently wasn't so special for her.
ANyway we moved past it because realistically as I mentioned it was just our first kiss and neither of us knew if it would amount to anything and I thought I was beyond it, but last week it came up again (just tangentially) and she revealed a few more details, firstly that she had spoken to him since then and told him that they couldn't be friends if he "just thought he could have sex with her whenever he wanted to" now that she was with me which I tought was a completely retarded thing to say and also embarrassed me a little, and also that she had mentioned to him (on the sex day) that she had finally managed to kiss me after liking me for ages and that she was really hoping that it would work out between us, and yet despite this he still came on to her anyway. What fucked me off the most was she then started to blame him for it saying he knew that she was happy with me and yet he still tried it on with her, and when I gave the logical response that no matter how happy she was with me she still let him fuck her, she got angry with me.
I know she really regrets it but I just feel like I want to get this out of my head and I can't seem to stop thinking about it. It was five months ago and it was technically before we were officially together, but it hurts me so much and I want to move on. | 10 | [
{
"body": "Get over it. Unless you want to be single soon. It isn't a fair thing to be jealous over.\n\nedit: Repeat \"She chose me\" over and over again, if you must. She picked you over other options. Isn't that awesome?",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "It happened before you started going out. It is none of your business, nor should you be making her feel bad about it. ",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "If this (meaning this girl) is really worth it, first kisses are the least of your worries, bro. Life doesn't always work out the way you planned, it might not be the perfect whirlwind of timing and affection and love. It's better to move on from the things you can't control, because much bigger and tougher problems can happen in relationships (and they always do).",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Just drop it. What can you possibly hope to accomplish by mulling over it.\n\nAlso another ireminder of why one should just SHUT UP about past relationships. After the initial \"disclosure\" stage, when you are forming emotional attachments and getting serious, your partner doesn't want, or need to, hear about what you did with whom.\n\nThe disclosure stage is when you reveal information that would negatively impact your partner or your relationship. \n\nOtherwise talking about it makes your partner think you are thinking about some ex, when they would really like to think you mostly think about them. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Maybe you are bothered by the fact that you know she will sleep with an involved guy. I would be. People who don't respect the borders of the relationship with others tend to not be as respectful with the borders of their own relationships.",
"score": 4
}
]
|
C or C++ programmers: what do you use (if anything) for GUI programming? | Do you use just APIs? A framework?
I'm also curious what people use if they are developing a cross-platform GUI application (like for Linux).
I've tried Visual Studio 2010 and it seemed to have basic visual-style GUI editing, but not quite as good as the one for .Net.
I still use the old Visual C++ 6.0 edition. | 60 | [
{
"body": "Go with Qt. Hands down the best solution for a GUI library that is a) well designed and b) cross platform.\r\n\r\n",
"score": 51
},
{
"body": "I've never heard of Qt, only wxWidgets. Looks really good from what I can see, thanks.\n\nOh, and does every C/C++ topic have to get downvoted? Jesus. Fuck Haskell.\n\nThanks though.",
"score": 32
},
{
"body": "I love Qt for cross-platform support. It has a visual widget layouting tool, but relying on it has bitten us and we layout the widgets in code now.",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "Just a word of advice. Be sure to make your GUI code _stupid_. That is, separate your GUI code from the application logic. Don't hold values inside the states of particular widgets, or rely on the toolkit to provide anything but user interaction. To the point where your back-end is basically (or literally) a statically-linked library with its own internal API.\n\nEven if you end up using a cross-platform toolkit, treat your code like you're planning to eventually change to a different toolkit. (One day, you might want to.) In other words, remember that the GUI portion of your program is like a _client_, doing the minimum necessary to display state to your user and get his interaction, passing it off to internal code as quickly as possible.",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "ncurses is a pretty good library if you're like me and love to stare at terminals.\n\nEdit: or are too lazy to learn to make real GUI applications.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "SDL for games.\nWindows API for Windows applications.\nHaven't had much of a need to code cross platform GUIs.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I like wxWidgets, especially since 2.9. The documentation got a lot better than the previous versions and it has almost everything you will ever need. I think they are working on a new Mac port using Cocoa, so that might be not as stable yet...\n\nI've also been using Qt for another project, with Qt Creator. The IDE is nice, but lacks many things... The library itself is very full-featured, with WebKit integration and also a JavaScript engine. IMHO the documentation isn't very organized. The Qt Designer addon also doesn't work with the Visual Studio Express Editions and you will need to integrate a preprocessor (moc) in your build system.\n\nYMMV.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I hope you are not using the Visual C++ 6.0 compiler. That would be a particularly cruel form of masochism.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Right now: OpenGL 2.0\n\nIts all you need for a decent GUI. Okay, okay .. its not 'WIMP'-friendly. \n\nSo?\n",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": " If you want something native you can use Qt or wxWidgets. Beyond that and you get platform specific. \n\n I've found the best way to write GUI code when using C++ is simply not to. Instead, write a good clean API in C++ that you can then interface with using something more suited to GUI development like Tk, C#, etc. In your design, You probably want a good clean interface that is not gui specific anyway. Keep that as C++. The GUI should have no logic in it. It's just button code that hooks up to the engine.\n\n Later on, when the boss says he read some blog about SOA and now you need a web service interface instead of a GUI, you can invoke the C++ engine.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "There's the recommended Qt Creator (though I have no experience with it).\n\nBut there's also wxFormBuilder for wxWidgets (and a few similar, but wxFormBuilder is the better I have found), which allows you to write the form separately to the code, it's fairly simple, and just like Qt it is cross platform.\n\nI have heard (read?) both CodeBlocks and MinGW recommended as IDEs for wxWidgets Windows development, if you're interested in pursuing this path.\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "WTL - no MFC dependency, and a bit better OOP modeling of GUI. It still doesn't compare to using something like PyGTK or whatnot, but, hey.\n\nWindows only, BTW.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
DAE write lengthy, researched posts about something that they believe most of reddit is misled, or doesn't understand fully, then deletes the post because they don't want to deal with the negative/trolling responses? | The whole, Australian's should join the 'pirate party' thing just boils my blood. If I learnt anything from my political science degree, the only two things that work in Australian politics are Lobbying and branch stacking (or the two major parties); getting involved in the mainstream discussion, not just sitting on the outside yelling as much as you can.
What do you think reddit is wrong about? | 27 | [
{
"body": "Somewhat. I do write lengthy posts and delete them, but I don't delete them in fear of trolls... it's more because the person I'm writing to is 110% convinced they're right, and has a chip on their shoulder the size of Montana, so there's really no point.",
"score": 7
}
]
|
Matt & Kim only go so far. | I wasn't sure if I should post this in suicide watch, but...I haven't really felt that bad since Summer '08.
I am 19, I go to a community college. When I was in middle school, I applied to a magnet school (IB) even though my parents didn't want me to because they said it was too far away. I applied anyway, got accepted, and went anyway after finding out the state provided free bus transportation.
I met some cool people, but...I never really became friends with any of them, just colleagues I guess. I was set on doing something in the sciences or maths because that's what my parents have always wanted, a male child who is either a doctor, engineer, or architect. At first I liked those subjects, but as my parents, the state, and people around me kept shoving STEM down my throat I started to resent it.
I would escape to my drawings, and come up with crazy stories for myself and just isolate myself in order to get away from everything since I had no outlet other than a gamecube (which got boring).
Senior year came, I applied to the state unis, got accepted, but I couldn't afford any of them even with Pell Grant and Bright Future Scholarship. I could afford the commuter state school uni which is where my sister went (housing with parents), but...I changed my mind on what I wanted to do.
I kept reading everywhere that I should ask myself, "where do you want to be 10 years", the answer was animating. That's what I did. I applied to the local CC and bought books on animation, on art fundamentals, color theory, looked at tutorials online, gathered soundbites, joined forums and started to go at it.
I was having a lot of fun, for it's exciting to see the story you came up with, seeing those lines, just come to life after pouring hours into it. I was also drawing, and painting, and still am.
I don't have anyone to share these things with though. It's fun and I show them to my parents but they look more disappointed than anything. Which I guess I understand since my parents are not rich by any means. They immigrated here about 20 years ago and have been working multiple shifts and late nights in manual labor to give my sister and I a roof over our heads, food, and small luxuries.
I just feel horrible doing what I'm doing. This is something that I've always felt with my parents, just huge guilt. Whether it was because I went to a friend's house one Saturday to build a computer, or told them I was going out to buy a book at the mall. It was always this stigma of being a thug of the streets; "un vago maliante".
I used to be really good with just looking ahead and just "keep doing what I'm doing", but it's not working. In high school I had at least some human contact because we were forced to sit next to each other in class.
I now just lock myself in my room, draw, read up on painting, and occasionally check out reddit and the old facebook to see how much fun those kids who went to unis are having.
Like I said, I used to be good at just ignoring it all and focusing on what I was doing. It gets really lonely though and it really sucked when my dog died last year because she was the only pal I had.
I do volunteer, I actually helped out in a couple of festivals, I also do exercise because I heard it's good for you all around, and I tried to start an animation club myself at the CC, but that failed. I don't have a job, but have been looking. Even that though my parents object to, they rationalize that I'm going to get stuck doing that same job for the rest of my life and want better for me than that because, they truly have sacrificed a lot.
I just want some advice, some words of wisdom from anyone because I don't have anyone to talk to about this. I tried out OkCupid looking for friends, but gave up because it's worse than real life. Speaking of which, I've never had a gf, much less a kiss, nor even a "best friend" in my whole entire life. I'm also not that repulsive...5'6" 140lbs, not incredibly boring.
I've also been thinking of just becoming and engineer or something. I don't like it and I hate the idea of it, and even now as I take my physics w/calc class, I just start sketching all over the margins.
Also...if it weren't for music, I probably wouldn't have made it as "far" as I have. I probably sound cheery, but I'm at a high I guess right now. It gets bad to the point where my stomach starts hurting when I realize what an isolated person I am.
TL;DR
I'm 19, live with my parents, don't have a job, never had a gf nor a real friend in my life. I gave up multiple acceptances to state unis to follow my pipe-dream of animation at a CC. I have no friends, I just draw and paint all day with extreme guilt because my parents would very much rather have me in a STEM job. Although that keeps me busy, at the end of the day, not having anyone to talk to or share this with sucks. | 13 | [
{
"body": "Your parents have provided well for you, and it's good to see you're thankful for that. But they don't, however trite it might sound, own you. You should be proud of yourself for taking your future into your own hands, even if it isn't doing what your parents want. I don't know how your career prospects are as an animator, but it is worth pointing out that what ultimately matters is your own happiness. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "It sounds like you are trying all the right things.\n\nKeep going with doing what you love - you're only 19, it'll take a long time to get into such a competitive field.\n\nGetting rejected from courses is normal - keep applying to different places.\n\nIt's really cool and pro-active of you to try and set up an animation club. Try again. Maybe somewhere else. Try new things. Try harder!\n\nIf you love music, take up an instrument.\n\nPlaying music is really therapeutic. \n\nMy mother died a few years ago and I found playing music so good that I dropped my lucrative software engineering job and used the inheritance to take up the guitar full-time.\n\nNow I study classical guitar and teach too.\n\nSet a goal of some kind and try your best to achieve it. Both short and long term goals are essential. Short term goals are \"I'm going for a run at 8:30am tomorrow\". Long term goals are \"I'm going to be on that animation course this time next year!\".\n\nDon't worry about ten years time. Take care of the next twelve months and it'll all be gravy.\n\nAs for friends and girlfriends? You can build a social life any time you like. I am not terribly social - but I'm old enough now not to have to worry about it. At your age having fun with friends is a real pressing issue. It might seem like everybody else is having some amazing life with loads of exciting social experiences.\n\nThe thing is - most of these experiences are very shallow. The people that I know, and I'm in my thirties now, are very flippant and generally embarrassed by those times.\n\nIt's helpful to know that you *can* be liked, and even (*spit*) 'popular', but ultimately it's meaningless. Your priority should not be attaining these sorts of 'party' experiences, but building close friendships based on common interests, values, philosophy and ideas.\n\nThat way, when you need to lean on somebody, you'll have people that understand and appreciate you, rather than some shallow friend nodding, looking at their watch and wanting to race off to get drunk at the next party when you're in a bad way.\n\nHow will you meet such people? Well - by getting together with fellow artists, animators, scriptwriters etc etc. Go where they go. Find 'your people'. It might not be easy - but it's possible.\n\nIt sounds like you live somewhere small? Maybe move to the city for a while. Get a degrading job in Burger King or whatever. An office would be better for you. It's not forever. Think about the freedom you'll gain. Think about the money you could save. Even if you're paying rent, you can save some cash. Nasty areas are generally survivable, if a bit scary at first.\n\nOh - and one final piece of advice. Be great at what you do. Practice it 'till it hurts. Take classes. Get better. Sacrifice. Do compare your work to the best that's out there. Everybody else will.\n\nIf you practice, and have *passion* you *will* do it!",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What is the most acceptable and aesthetically pleasing way for an adult to put posters in their house? | I have collected posters for years. I love 'em. I have dozens of them. Mostly I just put them wherever they'll fit onto the various walls in the house, but it kind of looks tacky. I have been thinking of getting frames from all of them but I've heard that poster-sized frames are ridiculously expensive.
Is there some other way to display them in your home that makes them look more adult-like? | 6 | [
{
"body": "I think posters look crappy framed.\n\nBlock mounted, with a bevelled edge looks good.\n\nI did this with my [Mallrats blueprints](http://www.jayandsilentbob.com/jayandsilbob1.html).",
"score": 3
}
]
|
DAE become rather attached to their paraphernalia? | I've had my fair share of pieces of the years, some broken, some lost, stolen, etc. I remember every one. They are personified, given names, put to my lips, used often. Am I alone?
It's art. I mean, some would argue it's a tool to get you high, not a canvas, but art pops up everywhere. A classic thunderbird may serve to get you from point A to B and it most certainly is ART.
It could just be rampant human materialism, my natural idealism putting meaning into oft-shoddily made glass lumps, but some o' these pipes got soul man [6] | 8 | [
{
"body": "Once when I was high I thought that if I smoke out of my pipe enough that it will level up. It might have been that I had been playing too many video games or it could be that I value a piece with some \"experience.\"",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "You said it man. \n\nKim Bong-Il is my little stubby bong. He is dark and blue and almost as fat as he is tall, with a big round belly. He and I have frequent discussions on diplomacy in my bathroom and, eventually, I always concede to his demands.\n\nOdin Quincannon, on the other hand, is a long slender glass Calabash. He waits quietly next to my bed, an his translucence allows me to watch as the long wisps of smoke elegantly fill the neck. I then heed Odin's advice and release the carb so the entire contents of the pipe rush into my lungs in one sudden and instant -BANG-. He then laughs and guides me further into his happy dreamland, swirling with purple smoke. (This often lulls me towards sleepiness, hence Odin residing next to my bed)\n\nI love my little guys.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Love is that which enables choice.\n\nLove is always stronger than fear.\n\nAlways choose on the basis of Love.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "i shattered the bottom of a squat slide on my bathroom floor, but i still keep the large piece of it because it looks just like a koi fish. \n\ni didnt want to throw it out",
"score": 4
}
]
|
Question for XX. What are your favorite TV comedy and drama series? | Just curious. After the article about the guy complaining about the evil womenz taking over SciFi, I thought it would be fun to start up a lady discussion about the kinds of TV we watch and why we value those programs. | 12 | [
{
"body": "**Doctor Who**: SciFi!\n\n**Wife Swap:** It probably counts as reality TV. But I don't care. I love it.\n\n**Big Bang Theory:** It has geeks! Adorable!\n\n**Little Mosque on the Prairie:** Perfect for when you just don't want to think about relationships. Because it isn't about romance, it's about a small Muslim community trying to fit in in a small Canadian town.\n\n**How I Met Your Mother:** Hilarious.\n\n**Firefly:** Um. Because it is Firefly?\n\n**Dexter:** It's impressive, how they get you to like a serial killer.\n\n",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Well here's my list! Sorry for the length but I wanted to be very complete in answering \"why\". :P\n\n**East Enders**: I don't really watch it anymore but my mum and I did some serious bonding earlier in the last decade when we watched this British soap opera on public television. It's got a lot of the usual dramatic cliches but I valued it for the time I got to spend with my mother and also because unlike a lot of US soap operas, for all its flaws it was at least telling the stories of real people. It's set in the working class East End of London which, as a Bronx girl, gave me some reasonably relatable characters.\n\n**Star Trek: Voyager**: I ate this show up. I don't know why, perhaps because it was- by accident- my first introduction to the wonders of Star Trek (I'm also a huge TNG fan, as for TOS I prefer the movies to the series but that's just a personal preference). Voyager was what I saw when I was youngest and it was quite amazing and intriguing for me when I was young to see such a strong female lead. Captain Janeway remains one of my early role models. The show itself was (usually) lighthearted and fun to watch in general.\n\n**The Thick of It**: Back to Britain and to what is, perhaps, my favourite show of them all. The Thick of It is an expletive riddled satire that could probably never be shown stateside as it'd be at least 50% bleeping. But unlike other swearing-heavy shows like The Sopranos the writers were creative with the dialogue. The swears, particularly those enunciated by the lead character Malcolm Tucker, are brilliant, baroque and oftentimes unique. Tucker is the Prime Minister's Director of Communications (spin doctor, basically) and the show follows his efforts to browbeat and threaten everyone else in the government to ensure the hew to the party line- centered on his interactions with the fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, it's to my mind a fitting tribute to the media-driven and power mad obsessions of the Blair years. Contained in the explosive dialogue are witty and all-too-true observations about not only British politics, but all Western politics, it seems.\n\nWhile it is a comedy (one that is mercifully without a laugh track) it is a very dark comedy. Its most recent series in particular was a jarring ride between hysterically funny and crushingly sad journey as Malcolm Tucker 'breaks in' a new DoSAC minister, Nicola Murray MP. Her ride from wide eyed backbencher idealist to broken spirit is at times played for laughs but represents one of The Thick of It's darker storylines.\n\n**Firefly**: I couldn't complete this list without mentioning it. My best friend practically tied me up and made me watch it with her over my muffled cries for mercy but as I got into the first episode I really couldn't stop. The show really did, for me, live up to the hype. It was fun, funny, enthralling and most of all brilliantly characterised. It is the programme that leaps to mind when I think of the truism about how the best stories are stories about *characters.* Every character on the show is brilliantly done, is unique, and far more than a cardboard cutout. None are particularly stereotypical, either gender stereotypical or racially stereotypical. Positive portrayals of both men and women, put in situations that feel remarkably believable despite the sci-fi atmosphere, really make this show. The characters- each of them- seduce you into caring about them in a way I rarely experience when I watch movies or TV shows.\n\n**The Office (UK)**: This show, to me, didn't have the replay value of The Thick of It (which is so dense one always finds new things on repeat viewings) but it remained a seminal and powerful comedy. Ricky Gervais plays the feckless David Brent almost *too* well, to the point where your loathing of him almost outpowers his comedic value. This show, much like Firefly, is a show about characters and each of them do stand out in their own remarkable ways. For what it's worth I melted into goo going \"d'awww!\" at the end of the series final special. I'm a sucker for a happy ending.\n\n**Yes, (Prime) Minister**: Worth a mention I suppose! For my geeky political self this show is so much manna from heaven. It remains frighteningly timely despite its final episode airing in 1988 (with much of the series taking place in the early 80s) and it often feels like a How-To Guide for Political Spin. The often Socratic lectures by one of the lead characters, civil servant Sir Humphrey Appleby, are darkly instructive on how politicians and those in government manoeuvre and deceive. It can sometimes be incredibly funny and it's much more lighthearted than the Thick of It which can be very dark in its turns. It's more congenial and fluffy and friendlier to politicians in general but still spares little. It's episode on sexism was particularly ahead of its time and was a hilarious showcase of all the fallacious cliches uttered by misogynists (The normally eloquent Sir Humphrey sputtering \"How can I hate women... I... my wife is one!\" was priceless).\n\nI think I could add a couple of more shows but I've gone on long enough! These are probably my absolute favourites.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Torchwood. The entire team is bisexual which constantly titaliates me. It's like a parallel reality where Roman mores carried on: everyone is bisexual and you look at people who only love a single sex as eccentric absolutists.\n\nAlso watching the Sopranos because I'm in love with the psychologist/gangster patient subplot.\n\nPushing Daisies is also proving to be a cute series.\n\nDexter because a 'good' sociopathic killer is a thought-provoking idea. It does have its slow points, but absolutely shines when there is a moral conflict.\n\nLegend of the Seeker is good. I never read the books so I can't feel violated by how they've adapted them into a TV series, and the main character consistently provides the kind of eye-candy I haven't had since Kyle XY ended.\n\nOutside of that, there's nothing I love.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "How I Met Your Mother and Dollhouse are probably the only shows I watch consistently.\n\nOH, and Glee!",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Fringe, Lie to me, Heroes, Leverage (when it was running, durr), House, 30 Rock, and Castle,. Oh and yes, I watch CSI. I happen to like the 'zoom, enhance!' portion of it :P. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "**How I Met Your Mother:** It's the first show since Coupling to consistently crack me up, and Robin Scherbatsky is my dream woman.\n\n**The IT Crowd:** Lots of nerdy humor and all three main characters are excellently done. Season three ramps up the awkward factor by an order of magnitude, though, which gets a little uncomfortable for my tastes.\n\n**Coupling:** Over now, but hands down my favorite sitcom and possibly tv show of all time.\n\n**Battlestar Galactica:** Epic space battles *and* strong female characters in sci-fi! It wasn't perfect, but damn it was good.\n\n**Criminal Minds:** IMO better-written than most of the other CBS procedurals (though I like most of those too), and I love all the characters and how the team dynamic works (or sometimes doesn't).",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Wow....it's no nice to get a diverse set of opinions. I feel like when you ask this on askreddit, it's pretty much possible to predict the results before going into the thread.\n\n\nSome personal favorites:\n\n*Glee*\n\nI think the emotion mixed with the relevant issues is what gets to me. Some of those scenes made my skin crawl, and other times I was laughing hysterically. The selling point to me is that everyone on Glee is both hatable and likable. I find that real. There isn't one character that stands out as more mature or likable than the rest. One minute you hate someone, and the next you feel empathy for them. \n\n\n*Supernatural*\n\nPersonally, it never fails to impress me. It's not a high budget or high quality show, but it's fantastic none the less.\n\nOne of the parts about Supernatural that I thought was amazing is how well they can blend comedy and drama. One episode, you have the boys running into a \"Supernatural\" convention where women are writing fan fiction about their gay fantasies about them. The next minute, they are losing loved ones, getting manipulated, fighting to save the world, and trying to make sense of mess that is going on around them. It reminds me of a lighter version of the X Files.\n\n\n*Community*\n\nVery underrated TV show. It's so cute! Chevey Chase being a creepy old guy is probably the funniest thing in the world. \n\n*Dexter* \n\nDuh. It's DEXTER. \n\n*Firefly*\n\nI forgot how awesome this was till I saw it again. The rich characters is what keeps the show's cult fan base so strong. It's hard IMO to have a show in which every episode (even the side story ones) advances the characters in some way to the ultimate conclusion. \n\nIt was also a good show for female viewers because I felt that the female characters were just as strong as the males ones, which seems rare in scifi. \n\nOthers: *Leverage, Lie to Me, Fringe, How I Met Your Mother, Castle, Weeds, Pushing Daisies, Californication, and Merlin and TRUE BLOOD*. Huge fan of that ^^. Yey TV!",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "My list is: The Office (u.s. version) Pushing Daisy's Grey's Anatomy, Arrested Development, Private Practice, The O.C., Project Runway, House, and Psych. Looking back, my list is incredibly girly! I really like love stories. :)",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I'm generally 5-15 years behind on television. Right now I'm enjoying ST:TNG and Babylon 5 quite a bit. Past favorites have included The X-Files, Buffy, South Park, The Simpsons, Firefly and Dr. Who/Torchwood. And I like True Blood when I'm in the mood for something mind-candy-ish.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I don't have a television but I really only really liked:\n\nBig Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Seinfeld, The Simpsons, The Apprentice, SNL, Whose Line is it Any Way, Conan, CSI, Boston Legal, How I Met You're Mother, Monty Python, Beauty and the Geek, The Twilight Zone, Aeon Flux, Nova, Star Blazers. Can't think of any more.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "**How I Met Your Mother** is a wonderful show, I absolutely love it. It's funny and quirky and sweet and NEIL PATRICK HARRIS. Also Alyson Hannigan.\n\n**Coupling** is the BBC response to FRIENDS, and it is fabulous. Rather than discussing dating, they discuss sex, and they're an extremely dysfunctional group. \n\n**Firefly** is sadly gone, but was a great friend to me. I fucking loved that show.\n\n**Star Trek: The Next Generation** was always a personal favourite of mine as well.\n\n**Glee** is just great. It's so cute and fun and generally lighthearted.\n\n**Castle** is a new favourite of mine--Nathan Fillion is amazing as a best-selling murder mystery author, with all of the douchebaggy lovability we expect from him. The female lead, Kate Beckett, is also amazing. And his relationship with his daughter is so cute :)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "**How I Met Your Mother**\n\nFan of Allyson Hannigan since the Buffy days, so this show earned a free pass on my giving it try. But Barney steals the show. (Reminds me of me in many ways.) Great writing too, the kind that starts memes. Also, Allyson Hannigan plays an adorably manipulative mastermind. \n\n**Big Bang Theory**\n\nIgnored it at first, but after trying it I loved it. Kinda panders to geek culture, but the comedic dynamicism between Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny is top notch. It's the modern day Odd Couple. The writing is average but Penny and Sheldon have such great comedic delivery it doesn't matter.\n\n**Community**\n\nJoel McHale fan, so I was biased towards liking it from before I even saw it. Amazingly charming writing. Almost every episode plays as a homage to some classic movie or tv show. Though I enjoyed the earlier episodes more because they focused on Jeff courting Brita and failing miserably. I started to get a bit of a crush on Brita's confidence, independence, and street-wise skillsets. That storyline has unfortunately since faded and Brita has seen less screen time. But I still watch because the show still oozes cleverness all over its writing. I came for McHale, I stayed for Brita.\n\n**Modern Family**\n\nBecause **Married With Children** defined my childhood television experience, I will follow Ed O'Niel unto the grave. This show was a pleasent surprise. No 4-camera setup or laugh track. An Office-like narrative style and solid acting from some veterans if the trade. Jesse Tyler Fergusson gets his second chance at network primetime after underrated **The Class**, and for good reason. No one does snarky passive-aggressiveness better than Fergusson.\n\n**House**\n\nSecular/pro-science viewpoint with masterclass acting from Laurie. Sexy-eyes Olivia Wilde doesn't hurt either.\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Dexter: Mostly because of the script I think. Lots of suspension and unexpected things. A little disappointed with how cliché some of the female characters are though. Like Rita omg what a feminine stereotype.\n\nMedium: Allison is such a cool female character. Has many good sides, sort of a hero but still far from perfect. I like that their family appears fairly normal compared to many other families on TV. And then there is the mystery and horror.\n\nFlight of the Conchords: Because of the songs obviously. If anyone here hasn't seen these yet you probably should: [Sugarlumps](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnAxf6ZA6Es), [Too many dicks on the dancefloor](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5aY0CAtvsk), [Carol Brown](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tErfaUvvw9A) and [You don't have to be a Prostitute](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3omQikQYmgY&NR=1) (which is a [Roxanne](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGQYI_TL8VQ) parody). \n\nXena: It's kind of shitty but I have a thing for women in armor. And Lucy Lawless is fun.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Hey bikeit, I'm looking for a sub 300 dollar mountain bike, and I'm looking at this one. Is it worth the money? | http://www.amazon.com/GMC-Topkick-Dual-Suspension-Mountain-Bike/dp/B000BT4W2C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1263772680&sr=1-1
That's pretty much what I settled on, based purely off amazon reviews. I'm looking for a mountain bike, but not one that will go super off roading, per-se. Just one that can handle some dirt, mud, hills and the like. I'm a bike noob, so go ahead and feel free to school me (haven't owned a bike in 7 yrs.) Thanks for your advice!
**EDIT**: Ok, so thanks to your comments, I think this bike would suit me more. It's not made by a car company, it's not a mountain bike (it's a hybrid), and people generally seem to like it on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Midmoor-Mens-Hybrid-Wheels/dp/B001731O36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1263779878&sr=1-1 | 6 | [
{
"body": "Crap. That's best considered a \"Bike Shaped Object\". Looks like a bike. Can sometimes be ridden as a bike. Not actually a bike.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "No. For starters, if your budget really is below $300, you shouldn't be considering anything with rear suspension-- it will be useless at that price point. Also, in the future, don't consider bikes rebranded by car companies. They're never good-- they're just rebadged huffy-type crap, and car companies really have no interest in producing reliable, fun-to-ride bikes.\n\nFurthermore, if you're not really planning to do serious mountain biking, don't get a mountain bike. You don't need a mountain bike for \"dirt, mud, hills and the like...\" consider that the Paris-Roubaix involves all of those, and everyone in that race rides a road bike.\n\nIf I were you, I'd think a bit about what kinds of riding you really expect to do. It it's just for all-around, all-weather, road-gravel-dirt riding, consider something like the [Schwinn Coffee](http://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/Products/Cruisers/Details/1492-S10COF3-Coffee-3-speed). It may not look like what you were thinking of, but at $300, the coffee is a much better bike than that GMC. Its simplicity is a virtue-- instead of suspension, extra drivetrain parts, and cosmetics, your money goes into durable and reliable construction. \n\nAnother bike in a similar vein but with a \"mountain-bikier\" setup is the [Victory Tourer](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11064941) from wal-mart. These are not high-quality bikes, but their simplicity means they'll ride better and last longer than any fully-suspended mountain bike in the same price range. I can't stress this enough-- $300 will *not* buy you a full-suspension mountain bike that isn't utter shit. It *might* buy you a halfway-decent hardtail, but even then, it sounds like you don't necessarily want a full-on mountain bike. It sounds like a hybrid/cruiser/commuter may be more what you need.\n\nIf you decide that you really do need a mountain bike, look on eBay or Craigslist at used hardtail or fully-rigid mountain bikes. If something looks good, check it out on mtbr.com, which has a pretty good database of reviews.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "* Quality\n* Features\n* Low price\n\nPick two.\n\nYou picked features and low price, so you lose on quality. If you want low price and quality, you must skimp on features. In that price range, the highest quality bike you will find is going to be a fully rigid single speed. Any suspension on a bike in that price range is going to be utter garbage.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "This isn't bike-snobbery, but there are not many good bikes even under $500. Generally they don't last, they break frequently after minor use, and use parts that are hard to find when they do break.\r\n\r\nGo and buy a used hardtail (no rear suspension) in decent shape for a few hundred off craigslist and plan on spending the remainder of your budget at a good local bike shop to get it tuned up.\r\n\r\nYou'll have nothing but frustration with the bikes you list in your original post after a few months.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What kind of dog is this .... found him a Year ago | http://imgur.com/4OUpz.jpg Puppy
http://imgur.com/9nbcA.jpg 9 months
http://imgur.com/66mlE.jpg 9 months
http://imgur.com/aLrkh.jpg 1 year
http://imgur.com/9ptCg.jpg 1 year
Please I can't figure it out for the life of me found him in the street south of Baltimore as a puppy had lime disease (( coax him to the car with Jr. Bacon Cheese Burger been mine ever since)) hes 100 percent healthy I figure hes gunna be around for a while so i would like to know
Cheers thanks for any help | 5 | [
{
"body": "Looks like a pretty strong prominence of pit bull terrier. Don't be turned off by that though, Pit Bulls are just like any other dog and are aggressive only when they are conditioned to be; just like any dog.\n\nGET THOSE BALLS CHOPPED OFF! There are enough Pit Bulls in the humane society and pounds already.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "EDIT: Found a better source of images\n\nsee:\n\nhttp://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3119806&pagenumber=1\n\nWhat you have is The American Pit Bull Terrier\n\nNot to be confused with\n\nThe Staffordshire Bull Terrier\n\nThe American Staffordshire Terrier\n\nThe Bull Terrier\n\nAll of these are often called a \"pit bull\". \n\nREAD the article for lots of good info\n\n",
"score": 4
}
]
|
I'm reading The End of Eternity by Asimov right now and can't put it down. What other Asimov works should I read? | This is the first Asimov book I've read, and I'm not done yet, but I'm really hooked on his style. What next reddit? | 9 | [
{
"body": "Congratulations, you managed to stumble on one of the two science fiction novels he wrote which aren't part of some enormous continuity.\r\n\r\nSo my recommendation would be to read the other one: *The Gods Themselves*.\r\n\r\nEdit: Science *fiction*, not science.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Oh, man. That's one of my favorite Asimov books. Let us know how you like it when you get to the end!\n\nIf you are feeling brave, get into that [Foundation series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series), which contains the Foundation trilogy, but also many other great books (e.g., Elijah Baley novels, Empire novels). The Gods Themselves is a good one which does not connect to the Foundation series. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "A lesser-known book that I would recommend (after you're done with the Foundation series and the Robot novels) is *Fantastic Voyage II*.\n\nAsimov wrote the novelization of *Fantastic Voyage*, which was a film from the sixties. He was dissatisfied with that story, so he wrote \"II\" which is a whole different novel that shares only the main premise: that a submarine is miniaturized and injected into the body of a dying scientist.\n\nHe expands the story, fills it will more interesting characters, and throws in a bunch of politics. But most notably, he deals with the science in a totally uncompromising fashion that is absolutely extraordinary. This is a real scientist doing his level best to describe what it would really be like to be miniaturized, and how the inner world of the human body would actually look and feel.\n\nAnd it has one of the best endings I've ever read in a book.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
[TOMT] A children's book about Usa | In fifth grade my teacher read us this book and I can't find anything about it. It was about this land called Usa (pronounced Oosa), only it was supposed to be someone from the future discovering our nation that didn't exist anymore for some reason and getting everything about us wrong (like how it's pronounced Oosa). Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
**Figured it out: Motel of the Mysteries by David MacAulay. It rocks you should check it out!** | 7 | [
{
"body": "[*Motel of the Mysteries*](http://books.google.com/books?id=dO3vf15Gxd0C) by David MacAulay? The USA gets buried under paperwork. It was assigned reading in my archaeology course. Fantastic book.\n\nYou know what? Just go read [everything by David MacAulay](http://books.google.com/books?q=%20inauthor%3A%22David%20MacAulay%22&source=gbs_metadata_r&cad=3&rview=1). It's all fantastic. All of it.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I vaguely remember something like that, where the archaeologists refer to the inhabitants of Usa as \"Wee-ans\" for some reason.\n\nWe listened to, I think, an audiobook version of the story.\n\nEDIT: I think I found it!\n\nhttp://www.harpers.org/archive/1956/11/0007250",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Are you terrified that unintelligent people are having more children than intelligent people? | Long ago, I came to the decision that being a parent was not right for me or my lifestyle (not to mention not right for this planet). I decided to spend less time doing the 9-5 and more time doing what brings me pleasure in life, even if that means I won't be making very much money. I am very happy with my decision and so far my lifestyle is highly enjoyable and fulfilling.
But a part of me is simply horrified when I see parents, uneducated, unaware of the world, thoughtlessly rearing children that we can only assume will most likely take after their parents.
Will we be outnumbered by the spawn of these people?
If the trend of the less-educated having more children continues, I'm afraid of who the future voters will be. | 1,109 | [
{
"body": "No because some of the smartest people I know have absolute dumbass families. I know a few kids that would never have made it through high school if their successful and relatively intelligent parents didn't pay out the ass for tutors/private schools etc. I don't think intelligence has much to do with genetics. At least not in practical terms.",
"score": 288
},
{
"body": "Honestly, I think this is a silly question. Most people alive today have been raised by uneducated people who are unaware of the world. Even if we say that there will be a larger proportion of uneducated, unaware people in the future to educated individuals then there is in the present, what would this mean to you? How would your world change? \n\nThere isn't a strong dichotomy between smart and dumb people. Some people may not be aware about events around the world or important scientific news, but they are smart enough to function in their jobs and to lead happy lives. Sure, some people go crazy for Sarah Palin and get worked up about evolution and how it doesn't exist, but these people are \"extremists\" for the reason that they are not the majority.\n\n",
"score": 221
},
{
"body": "\"Fitness\" is a relative metric. Intelligence may or may not correlate to \"fitness\". \n\nDon't worry about it. The sun goes out in 6 billion years. ",
"score": 48
},
{
"body": "This is why I hate reddit.\n\nedit: So, since people have complained about this being a useless comment, let me offer something more substantial:\n\nOne of the most beautiful and yet terrifying things about growing up is realizing that there are a billion other people whose intelligence and capacity to actually use it for something puts yours completely to shame. If we were really to divide the population into intelligent-unintelligent categories, chances are the OP and most of the people who have upvoted this submission would end up in the less favorable one. To think otherwise requires a level of what I consider to be intellectual immaturity typical of sheltered people, but more importantly, it requires a level of narcissism that makes you a complete asshole.\n\nSo what I'm trying to say is grow the fuck up, reddit. You are annoying.",
"score": 40
},
{
"body": "Plenty of religious people have children who grow up to be atheist, and vice versa. \n\nKind people have children who grow up to be just awful, and vice versa.\n\nHard working industrious people beget lazy slobs, and child prodigies are spawned from useless wastes of air. \n\nAnd on top of all of that, intelligence is not a predictor of success, happiness, productivity, altruism, or whatever other traits one might hope for the coming generations.\n\nAnd like it or not, plenty of \"intelligent\" voters won't vote the way you do. My parents are smarter than I am, but they both voted for McCain. ",
"score": 29
},
{
"body": "I'm more terrified by people who think that \"intelligence\" is a measure of human worth. If someone had some idea why we're all here, then we could start to think about just what \"intelligence\" is contributing to that.\n\n",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "*But a part of me is simply horrified when I see parents, uneducated, unaware of the world, thoughtlessly rearing children that we can only assume will most likely take after their parents.*\r\n \r\nI agree! It is a well known fact that 50% of people born today are below average.\r\n \r\n*If the trend of the less-educated having more children continues, I'm afraid of who the future voters will be.*\r\n \r\nIt seems like you're saying that people should have some minimum level of intelligence and education before they're allowed to vote! I agree. Let's set the bar at 145 IQ and a PhD. I'm sorry, that doesn't include you? Well the truly intelligent and educated people of the world can't have you running around mucking things up for them. Count yourself lucky - they might have had you genetically tested before birth and forced your mother to abort you!",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "The odds of intelligence going extinct are slim. For one thing intelligence (up to a certain point) is more likely to lead to the sort of financial situation in which one's offspring can be expected to survive and lead happy lives. For another, intelligence is so hazy and determined by so many genes that in a nearly globally interlinked gene pool, it would be very difficult for it to decrease significantly.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "I am a married man (10 years next month!) in his mid-30s. I have a co-worker who has six (6) children who is also in his mid-30s. He basically got married right out of high school and his wife got pregnant within six months of their marriage.\n\nOne day I asked him \"Why would you want six kids?\" and his response was \"Because the Lord gave them to me.\" When I brought up birth control, he replied \"It's against God's will.\" \n\nThat's why the ignorant will always reproduce more- if they question their God, they go to hell. Better to heed and struggle to feed the eight person family, than to accept that what he's enduring is Nature's will, not God's.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "No. \n\nFirstly, intelligence isn't as important as achievement, and that's at least as much a product of environment as genes, so you could concentrate on making education work better; it's not only likely to be more effective than stopping \"stupid\" people breeding (eugenics?, no thanks), it's much more positive. \n\nIf the state of the world really worries you, make sure poor people in some particularly disadvantaged part of the world can get a decent education. The impact of that could be enormous. So much potential is being wasted.\n\nAnyway, if intelligence was all that important for individual survival and reproduction, it would be selected for. It apparently isn't.\n",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "Firstly, you're probably not as intelligent as you think. Secondly, you underestimate the capabilities of the average person. ",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "terrified? are you serious or exaggerating for effect? what a narcissistic and elitist point of view. and frankly, if you are honestly losing any peace over this you may not be as intelligent as you think. we started out cave dwelling mouth breathers and we made it this far. uneducated people invented education. i think this is by far not the biggest of humanity's problems.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Please.. become a foster parent. There are many kids out there that need good parents; Parents that think and will tech them to think (and not beat and/or molest them also.) By doing so you can have a huge influence on the next generation and not increase the world population.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "I'm more terrified of self-righteous, judgemental, overly analytical people like you raising little clones.\r\n\r\nThank you for not reproducing.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "no, 'the marching morons' is a fallacy. [a fallacy](http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/05/there_are_no_marching_morons.php), people. a great story, perhaps, but just a fallacy. let me repeat that in case you didn't get it the first time: [THE MARCHING MORONS IS A FALLACY!!!!!](http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/05/there_are_no_marching_morons.php)",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "I am a bit terrified, yes. \n\nMy sister has a lot of immature friends who are pregnant but in no way competent enough to take care of the child. Her best friend lives with her boyfriend at her parents' house. Neither of them are employed and they still regularly smoke and drink. Being around my sister during the holidays or while I'm home has been a sharp learning curve for me. I've found out that unabashedly declaring that abortion is sometimes a wise move and citing her friends is a bit of a social faux pas.\n\nWhen I'm out in public, I often times see a woman with four or five kids trailing her- they're in dirty, beat up, ragged clothing and the woman is for all intents and purposes ignoring or dragging them. It's just ludicrous that these people have children when *they can't fucking take care of them.* Moreover, they're just being raised into a group of people (\"family\") that's illiterate, speaks with horrible grammar, and has no basis in mathematics, science, or any veritable academic field.\n\nIt's depressing to think about which is why I prefer not to do so; but it is a real problem and it does have me nervous. Granted, it's going to be a bottomless source of inspiration for me when I do have kids to raise rational, intelligent children. *But still...*",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "This pops up on reddit once every month or two.\n\nYou're confusing the genes for intelligence with education. Becoming truly educated is hard work and most people just don't do it. Maybe some day we'll live in a society where everyone values their intellectual potential and puts the work in to educate themselves, but we can only dream about that for now.\n\nI'm more worried about who the voters are right now. We live in a country where about half think lasers are focused sound waves. One in five thinks the sun goes around the earth. No politician in their right mind would be anything less than terrified of losing the \"stupid vote\".",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": ">But a part of me is simply horrified when I see parents, uneducated, unaware of the world, thoughtlessly rearing children that we can only assume will most likely take after their parents.\n\nThankfully, that assumption is wrong. Intelligent people are born in every circumstance and demographic. Otherwise, you might as well buy into the pseudo-racist bullshit that blames poverty and ignorance exclusively on racial breeding.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "You're the unintelligent one if you think that there has ever been anything resembling a majority of intelligent people in the world.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "If we humans wish to live in a world of true and lasting peace, then something at some point has to be done about our genetic proclivities towards psychopathy, stupidity, and apathy. The dream of all who live should be to create a world in which all love each other deeply and unconditionally, a world in which everyone had the utmost concern for everyone else regardless of whether or not they knew them or were genetically related to them, and finally a world in which everyone were intelligent, rational, and had an insatiable thirst for the truth. This is utopia. The human species might yet live millions of years longer or perhaps even billions. Are we to endure conflict, strife, war, and cruelty for that entire period because \"eugenics is immoral!\"?\n\nEvery time I come across as a eugenics apologist I am aspersed and compared to Hitler. It's quite remarkable. This reaction appears to be particularly pronounced amongst individuals who purport to be progressive humanists or whom one would think to be such - because, evidently, people assume that eugenics means killing people, when all it really refers to is the promotion of the perpetuation of good genes and the removal of bad from the human gene pool; killing people is one way of carrying out eugenics, but not the only way and certainly not the best; and because, again evidently, it is wrong to violate one's \"right\" to procreate. What, though, of the rights of their children or the rights of people of future generations to well-being and happiness?\n\nThere are roughly 7 billion people alive today and a rough estimate of the number of people unfit for procreation would be 5 billion+ or more. Does the so-called \"right\" of these people to procreate take precedence over the rights of people of future generations, who could conceivably number in the decillions in total by the time the human race finally dies out, to a happy world of peace and sanity? Should we really honor the selfish, egotistical desire of psychopaths and idiots to see miniature versions of themselves running around or to receive income from government welfare programs for having children over the desire of people living today and those who will live in the future to exist in a world of peace, one not so laughably and frighteningly insane and twisted and heavy-laden with interminable schism and conflict?\n\nMorality/ethics doesn't mean never hurting anyone. Sometimes the most moral action of those actions available to one still results in harm. You can't please everyone all of the time. Morality/ethics means promoting the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people and the least harm for the least number; utilitarianism is the ideal form of morality/ethics.\n\nSurely, any given eugenics program would be a hardship or source of distress for some number of people; but not to act, not to implement such a program, would be the source of greater suffering for a far greater number of people over a much longer period of time. Which is worse?\n\nYou might say, \"Well, who gets to decide what constitutes good or bad genes?\" That's a question deserving careful consideration but it doesn't alone suffice as a refutation of the idea that eugenics were in humanity's best interests. We have a huge problem: We humans barely give a rat's ass about one another. Many of us would injure any number of his fellow human beings without the slightest compunction in order to serve his own interests. This most fundamental and ubiquitous feature of human psychology absolutely has to be eliminated sometime and the only way for that to happen is eugenics. Oh, but eugenics is immoral. Right? Because it's vaguely associated with the political right and fascism or something, and you're so busy rooting for your political team that you can begin to dispassionately and rationally look at what's best for humanity without referring to your preconceptions and indoctrination?\n\nIt's precisely because I am a humanistic progressive that I endorse these ideas.\n\nI have always been amazed at how groups of individuals with a reputation for being enlightened and intelligent almost invariably have this shorting-coming in common - that they reject the idea of eugenics off-hand because it immediately evokes some visceral negative emotional reaction in them which disposes them to reject the idea despite the merit that you can see it to have when you really examine it closely, putting your prejudices aside.\n\nHuman beings have domesticated cats, dogs, horses, and all manner of other animals, selected for desirable traits over centuries to create much more agreeable animals. They've done this with plants as well: corn was bred by humans from a wheat-like plant with very small kernels; bananas used to have enormous seeds that would break your teeth, almost no meat, and very little if any sweetness. The living species most in need of perspicacious reproductive selection is humans, however. Yet, that's never been done and probably won't be done for some time longer on account of how taboo the idea is and how fresh in minds memories of WWII history is.\n\nI dream of a world - one which I'll never see even if my ideas are put into practice - in which everyone felt constantly as if he were on MDMA: everyone would be completely trusting, confident in a non-arrogant way, loving, compassionate, munificent, tolerant, happy. \n\nWhy don't others share my dream? Why do people prefer that the world should continue to be a shithole? If that's truly what morality/ethics is - letting the world continue to rot - then fuck morality/ethics; it's useless if that's true.\n\nOh wait, I must be wrong because Randall Munroe thinks so; we all know that he's infallible. Yes, let's post cartoons that put forward a particular viewpoint without actually providing any evidence or arguments in favour of that viewpoint and pretend that we've settled the matter in doing so. Short reductionist cartoons = proof, you see.\n\nWhy not act now? Why leave a task that needs doing for future generations? Won't they simply say the same thing? \"We'll let future generations handle this problem\"",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I'm more scared of condescending people like you breeding, but since you decided not to, you did the planet a favor.\n\nSo thanks.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "> Are you terrified that unintelligent people are having more children than intelligent people?\n\nIf the assertion that \"unintelligent people are having more children than intelligent people\" is even true -- and I find it specious -- what would make you think it's a new trend? Few people went to universities a few hundred years ago and they still managed to have the Renaissance 'n shit. \n\n> If the trend of the less-educated having more children continues (...)\n\nAgain, mandatory, publicly-funded, institutionalized primary education is a relatively recent invention, so your premise is specious.\n\nYou're just as bad as the average Fox News man-on-the-street when you grump and rail baselessly about the decline of society.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "No.\n\nBecause I'm smart enough to know that Idiocracy was just a (mediocre)comedy, and that the children of unintelligent people are not automatically incapable of intelligence.\n\n>Will we be outnumbered by the spawn of these people? \n\nDon't count yourself in with the intelligent, you dumb motherfucker.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I'm more appalled by egotistical little snots like you preaching their ignorant intelligence. BTW good luck with that whole living your life for yourself and dying a lonely, sad fuck.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I think it's natural to feel that way but I wouldn't worry about it. \n\nI'm more afraid of people who consider themselves superior to the masses. Ask Germany how that worked out for them in the 1930s. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Unfortunately that's just what I fear is happening in Britain. I see countless young, uneducated mothers and fathers trying to bring up a child when they themselves are not out of their teenage years.\n\nNow I'm not saying that they will not be great parents, on the contrary, some of my friends had children very young and are fantastic parents. However most of these young couples/single parents have backgrounds of poverty and/or having left school before they completed any significant level of education.\n\nThese are the people who frighten me! They have scores of children who will turn out just like their parents if they follow examples set by said parents. If anyone has ever been to Britain and seen our lower class situation for example [chavs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav) etc, then you will know of what I speak. People in poverty living in large estates breeding like rabbits and voting for and believing in anything put under their noses be it in the right wing news papers or calls to vote for racist political parties e.g the [BNP](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_National_Party). \n\nThese people don't know left from right and infuriate me with their contemptuous nonchalance. I have met so many young people from backgrounds similar to this, they are not only uneducated but they also have a disregard for morally acceptable behaviour. \n\nGiving Birth is not a right.\n\n**tl;dr** Britain is a sh*t hole full of uneducated louts who are the sum of all fears.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I used to worry a lot about this, but now only half of me has that worry, and I'll tell you why:\n\nI have friends who are complete idiots who have somehow sprung humans with surprising intellects from their loins. Dimwitted parents who have a 3 year old with an advanced sense of humor, 4 year olds who use clever compliments and polite diction to flatter their way into getting what they want (a budding sociopath), 2 year olds who can use a mouse and keyboard at a computer (in a rudimentary way, but enough to play YouTube videos.)\n\nWhat I took from this is that there is something in our genome that is self-reinforcing and constantly moving...I think our species may have evolved to grow more intelligent -- not unlike Dawkins' supposition that perhaps, over time, species have evolved to become better at *evolving*.\n\nI worry more about the *number* of Earth's population, to be honest...limiting your reproduction is still a good idea.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "> I came to the decision that being a parent was not right for me or my lifestyle\n\n> more time doing what brings me pleasure in life\n\nWhy do you assume that they are unintelligent? Maybe centering your lifestyle around personal pleasure is actually the unintelligent choice.\n\nIf you really are concerned or terrified, why don't you become a teacher, or volunteer as a Big Brother/Big Sister, or mentor some of these kids some other way?",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Perhaps intelligence isn't in genetics, but I feel as if even the slightest traces can lead to potential brilliant minds. Or perhaps that trace, combined with another trace from another parent. \n\nAnd why hate so many dumb people? You know what, being intelligent and somehow, in that sense, being \"better\" than dumb people as seen through reddit eyes, makes me sick to my stomach. A good person is a good person in my mind",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Oh geez. Sometimes I wish people had to get a license to reproduce. We totally need a gene-pool protector!",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "There are many explanations why smarter people have less children.\n1) While many educated people are busy studying their asses off, craploads of uneducated people are busy knocking up everyone they see at the parties. This brings me to \n2) While educated people will have enough brains not to jump in bed with the first person they see, and actually give a damn about protection. A lot of uneducated people will(sorry for jargon) fuck the first thing they see that moves. Which leads to part \n3) Uneducated people have lower standards, since they them selves are not that better, where as educated people would want someone of thair own education as a mate. \nSo to summarize all: \nEducated people have no time to breed, we actually have standards as to whom we breed with, and we use our brain when it comes to mating, as in taking into consideration finances and so forth. \nUneducated people have way too much time on their hands, they are compatible with anyone who has the right genitals to fit their own, and they never think ahead about things like, can I afford to have children and so forth. And I mean why would they? If someone did not like studying because 2+2 was hard, why would they bother to think ahead.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I am not here to give my opinion on the topic. However, I did want to clarify some misinformation and bad argumentation.\n\n1.) IQ != Intelligence ( to what degree this is true CAN be debated ). IQ is a number, intelligence is a complex entity.\n\n2.) However, IQ is highly heritable. IQ also correlates highly with grey matter distribution in the brain and speed of processing ( something most people would agree contributes to being intelligent ). These are established and it pains me to see people claim otherwise ( without citing their opinion on other factors, e.g. in seperated twin studies impact of uteral environment, physical attributes, etc. ). This should not be used to argue for societal decline but don't let good science be looked over in the name of being politically correct. \n\n3.) Probably the most important point. What does heritability mean in terms of the nature vs nuture debate. A simple example is given on wikipedia ( cannot vouch for accuracy of statements here as I have not seen the studies ).\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ#Estimates_and_caveats_to_them\n\n\"A high heritability does not mean that the environment has no effect on the development of a trait, or that learning is not involved. Vocabulary size, for example, is very substantially heritable (and highly correlated with general intelligence) although every word in an individual's vocabulary is learned. In a society in which plenty of words are available in everyone's environment, especially for individuals who are motivated to seek them out, the number of words that individuals actually learn depends to a considerable extent on their genetic predispositions.\"\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability\n\n\"Heritability estimates are often misinterpreted. Heritability refers to the proportion of variation between individuals in a population that is influenced by genetic factors. Heritability describes the population, not individuals within that population. For example, It is INCORRECT to say that since the heritability of a personality trait is about .6, that means that 60% of your personality is inherited from your parents and 40% comes from the environment.\" ( emphasis mine )\n\n3.) I read a comment where a person was arguing that since humans are smarter than dogs then intelligence is genetically determined. This is true, but besides the point as what we are arguing is whether intelligence can vary within our species ( and to what degree ).\n\n4.) People arguing that personality etc. can contribute to intelligence or IQ are absolutely right, but it would be hard to use this as a argument against intelligence or IQ being heritable as these traits themselves could also be heritable.\n\n5.) Anecdotes don't mean anything. Intelligent people can have unintelligent children and vice-versa. Individually, this doesnt tell us anything statisical distributions. Further since we can't measure intelligence it would be hard to conclude this at all. Maybe the person you thought was intelligent just had a great enviroment as a child but not the genes and didn't give a good environment to their offspring, etc. etc.\n\n6.) Technology is quickly outpacing the rate at which society could even possibly decline. In general, genetic change is slow. Is it really unlikely we will not have the capability of altering intelligence in the near future ( next couple hundred years)? Besides there is a xkcd comic somewhere here that people should look at which is pretty true ( synopsis: people bitching about this have caused more damage than societal decline itself ).\n\n\n7.) As environment no doubt contributes to intelligence, it would be most important to focus on reforming education ( especially in the US ). It is often that case that it is not \"cool\" to be smart or at least logical.\n\n8.) Remember epigenetics could play a role.\n\n9.) If you are worried donate sperm or have children its simple.\n\nEDIT: I know my grammar is bad, I don't care.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Ironic how the intelligent elite that are worried that the dumb are taking over the gene pool are the same ones that are trying to make them vaccinate their kids and providing them with social welfare.\n\nThe reason humans are intelligent today is because it conferred a survival advantage. Stop removing the survival advantage to being intelligent, and the problem will take care of itself. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "(not to mention not right for this planet).\n\nCongratulations on saying something profoundly stupid. What the hell would care about the planet if there weren't people.\n\nWhy would the intelligence of the population be a problem to you. If the people around you are too dumb, then find smarter friends. After you are dead how could it possibly matter to you what the intelligence of other humans are.\n\ntl;dr you sound dumber than those you lambast.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "No, I'm not terrified that unintelligent people are having more children than intelligent people.\n\nNext question, please.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "> Will we be outnumbered by the spawn of these people? \n\nA day on Xbox Live will show you your answer.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Are you going to do anything about your feeling of other peoples deficiencies? Like volunteer to help educate these families you are talking about. This might be your new calling. Working as a cashier (scheduled at the merchants mercy, not 9-5 could be 12-6 or 2-10) has its draw backs, also if you are so smart why did you drop out of society and not be more productive, you don’t have to keep up with the Jones. Sounds like you have the same issues as the uneducated, High school dropout.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "The amount of many jobs is based on the % of total population. Intelligent workers will always have an easy time finding jobs. :-)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "The movie **Idiocracy** was sent here from the future to warn us.\n\nEdit: replaced html with Yet Another Brilliant Markup System",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Nope, we need unintelligent people to clean my house, bag my groceries, serve my food, etc.\n\n(hope my wife doesn't read this, she's currently doing pretty much all of the above)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "No. What do you consider unintelligent btw? Because by your logic I'm glad you're not reproducing because we don't need more rugrats running around preaching how their shit doesn't stink.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "You've seen Idiocracy, right? The movie that's about exactly what you're scared of. Don't worry, the future is funny.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Are you terrified at the idea that intelligence can be boiled down to one value?\n\nLong ago, I came to the realization that taking a massive array of both dependent and independent mental skills then squashing them all together into one barely useful value was a terrible idea. There are trillions and trillions of possible brain organizations possible, why do you think that there are some that are inherently 'smart' and some that are 'dumb'. The perfect example that redditors will love is autistic savants. Lets imagine that we ranked people solely on their ability to perform in society. These people would plummet, while they have some of the most amazing computational abilities.\n\nFurthermore the idea that stupid people can only produce stupid people is... for lack of a better word: stupid.\n\nAs a side note: \n>If the trend of the less-educated having more children continues\n\nless-educated IMPLIES that the worry is not nature, but nurture. So what you should be campaigning for is making intellectual activities more interesting to the next generation. I viewed Idocracy as not only a warning about how this could come about because of genetic conditions, but because of cultural conditions, watch out for anti-intellectual society that value blind faith over reason, oh shit.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My parents both finished college, my mother being a biologist and my father with a Ph.D. Both have an IQ right around 160. They have six kids. Not tooting my own horn or anything, as I'm not nearly as smart as my parents.\r\n\r\nP.S. Unintelligent people ≠ bad people. I bet there are loads of thoroughly average people that have made the world a better place than you or I.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "No, because it's wrong.\n\n*Ignorant* people have more children than *educated* people. There is no research that indicates there is some significant difference in *intelligence* between those with large families and those with small.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Question about situp/crunch form. | Hey /r/fitness,
I'm pretty out of shape (office job + fulltime school), and have some back pain developing. I've decided to follow the [hundred pushup](http://www.hundredpushups.com/) and two hundred situp programs, starting yesterday with pushups (third column, had no problem). Today with situps (well, crunches to 35 degrees).
Anyway, as far as I can tell, I can't do a single situp. I've looked up guides and videos on form to make sure I'm doing it right, but to no avail.
Background: I had/have multiple scoliosis (curvature of the spine) as a kid, although it's not really an issue anymore. I have checked with a doctor, and I should be fine for exercises, as long as I follow proper form.
Form: I'm following the form on [Two Hundred Sit-ups](http://www.twohundredsitups.com/what.html), or trying. Knees bent, fingers touching ears, feet unweighted on the ground, looking at ceiling. Bend with abdominals, not hips.
**The Problem:** I can't seem to do a situp. As far as I can tell, you're at least supposed to be able to get your shoulder blades off the ground - I can get up to the point that I'm resting on them, but no further, unless I rock or jerk forward using the weight of my legs.
No further, unless I weight my feet. Then I can sit up all the way. However, guides for situps warn that your lower back is not supposed to leave the ground; I think my problem is that my lower back never touches the ground - once weight leaves my shoulder blades, it's on my hips, and my entire back is in the air.
For reference, when lying back on the floor with knees bent, you could slide your arm underneath my lower back without displacing me at all. I think that because the primary place my body is pressing down is moving from the shoulder blades to the hips, my center of gravity has to move too far, or something.
**So my question is:** do I have an incorrect concept of the situp, am I doing it wrong, or should I find another exercise/see a trainer? I like the idea of Starting Strength, but am avoiding it until I can see a trainer for safety reasons.
I am around 180 pounds, 5'11, and have a beer gut.
I thought I'd ask you guys, because none of my friends are any help in this field, heh. Go go out-of-shape mid-twenties engineers. | 6 | [
{
"body": "Hey, I don't have any idea on your sit-up problem, I just wanted to wish you luck. I started hundred push-ups four weeks ago as of tonight, and I'm starting to see some real build and definition on my previously-skinny, untoned arms. I added two hundred situps a week ago, as well as writing my own program for dips and pull-ups.\n\nA piece of advice: get one of those pull-up bars that you can hang in your doorway. You can use them for push-ups, too. They make your push-ups a million times more difficult but soooo much more effective. I started seeing results the week that I started using mine.\n\nJust like you, I'm 5'11\", about 190 with a beer gut. Stick with it, man. It's so damn worth it.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Yesterday, I made a comment saying that I would donate $1 to the Haitian relief effort for every *downvote* I got. The response was so overwhelming, I feel I have no choice except to donate everything I can. | Last night, I left it at something in the low double digits, thinking the post would sit there forgotten. I was so incredibly wrong. As of now, I am at -702. I have [$526.07 in my bank account.](http://imgur.com/wS9Rw). I have [donated everything, except $100](http://imgur.com/Erzfj) so I can pay the rest of the month's bills. I'm sorry I can't yet make up the deficit.
Time to go find a job.
*[original comment](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/aqk0x/hey_reddit_if_you_were_on_a_mission_to_score_as/c0iw7v6)*
**Addenda:**
manfromporlock has [donated some of the remanider that I couldn't to doctors without borders.](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixjpk) Jolly good show, old chap!
I thought I'd also list some of the other people who added to the pile:
manfromporlock: $357.93
[adam1304](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixl14): $13.04
[EngrishMajor](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixl6k): $25
[jlarsen625](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixkw2): $25
[c94](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixlu2): $20
[DoughNation](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixok5): $25
[JasonZX12R](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixpj6): $50
[sh_reddit](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixqwr): $35
[poninja](http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/aqsv2/yesterday_i_made_a_comment_saying_that_i_would/c0ixv49): $100 | 1,402 | [
{
"body": "Holy crap, you followed through. I'm in awe of you. Please reply to this comment so I can upvote it, you deserve it for all the downvotes previously.",
"score": 302
},
{
"body": "My bf doesn;t want me to ask \"philosophical\" questions when I am drunk. What a douche. BTW I donated 100 green ones to Haiti, I was going to donate 10, but when I saw some asshole on YouTube making racist comments and trying to convince pipl not to donate, so I donated 90 on his behalf. Fuck assholes. Yeahhh back to booze.",
"score": 45
},
{
"body": "I remember seeing your post this morning, and posting 'Upvoted'... I got 15 downvotes, but god dammit. I'm 17 years old and have a minimum wage job, but I felt so guilty after reading this post. I just donated 20 dollars, and it feels liberating. ",
"score": 34
},
{
"body": "The one thing I learned from my parents growing up is this: your money is not yours, you're just supposed to do the most good you can with what you have. For a great cause, I would never think twice about loaning my last dollar to a stranger.\nMy wife and I are lucky enough to live comfortably on what we make. We don't make much: I teach, she's a nurse. We both come from well off families of doctors and dentists. Both families live by the same motto.\nMy father-in-law works regularly giving free medical clinics in Haiti. When he heard the news, he canceled his appointments, called his friends, and just went. He ended up hitching a ride on a private jet and a blackhawk hellicopter, neither of which was planned more than an hour in advance. Going to help probably cost him more than I make in three months. \nI guess what I'm saying is, don't think twice. ",
"score": 24
},
{
"body": "Sorry buddy, I am not going to downvote you. I appreciate your gesture but you are asking me to spend your money for you. I can't really do that unless I am wiling to match it with my own donation.\n\nI think you make an important point with your karma thing. I mean, what if everyone that downvoted you also donated some money? After all, if someone is willing to spend your money with a downvote, can't they also spend their own money? Perhaps you are implicitly pointing this out with this particular submission. \n\nSo I will suggest to those that downvoted to donate money. \n\nAs for as me... I'll be honest, I can't donate now because I am married to someone that doesn't believe in that stuff. She is very protective of her kids and all the 'extra' money goes to funding their various activities. Trust me, I donated money once and it wasn't pretty.",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "When I saw the original comment earlier today, I assumed it was made in the context of the thread and that the \"deal\" would not be honoured.\n\nThank you for proving me wrong and restoring some of my faith in humanity.",
"score": 21
},
{
"body": "Congratz! Have your karma back :P\n\nYour comment is at -809 now, I'm sure some fellow redditors can make up the difference for you.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "I don't see how someone with around $500 in his bank account could even think of donating some of that money. It's one poor person giving money to another person. This doesn't make any sense to me, but it's your business. At all times, the least you should have is enough to cover you for around six months. \n\nDon't blame me for spreading basic personal finance advice. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Covered mine and 34 other downvotes!\n\nPayment Amount: $35.00\nGift Date: 1/17/2010\n\nFor more information visit our website at www.doctorswithoutborders.org\nThank you. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "How to fix your karma:\nMake a comment promising instead to donate the value of the difference between that comment and your lowest rated comment.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "you've got $526 in your bank account? \n\ntalk about a high roller, that's about $500 more than I have. \n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "We should all be aware the IMF is trying to do a \"Shock Doctrine\" on Haiti. Donating is a great way to help, but should all be aware the IMF is moving in on them like a vulture, and are responsible for Haiti's infrastructure problems http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/517494/imf_to_haiti_freeze_public_wages\n\nThere's also a Facebook group \"No Shock Doctrine for Haiti\"\nhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=292737727221&ref=mf",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "$1: Too light\r\n\r\n$426.07: Too heavy\r\n\r\nYou are a better man than me, there is no way in hell I would donate that much money to anything besides my landlord.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "There was [a meme on tumblr where someone said they would donate $0.20 (twenty cents, not dollars) for every 50 reblogs he got](http://ohyeahfacts.tumblr.com/post/333285627/everythingharrypotter-the-burrow). Not exactly generous, but whatever. So he gets almost 12,000 reblogs, worth only about $50 for his donation. HE DOESN'T FOLLOW THROUGH. [He only donates $20.](http://bschh.tumblr.com/post/333328522) I did some investigating and the person was [a fifteen year old private school kid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Bschh) who was using his parents' cell phone plan (using his iphone, no less) to make the donation. I was murderous when I found out. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Does anyone actually use GWT? | Just curious, some of the Java gurus at work are raving about the awesomeness of GWT and how it gets rid of all your cross-browser incompatibilities. After taking a cursory glance, I can only conclude that this is only true if you stay within the GWT box, the second you need to create a non-standard widget, or write a javascript extension, you'll be dealing with cross-browser issues and have an extra layer of abstraction to deal with to boot. Am I wrong? | 54 | [
{
"body": "I work on the Wave team.\n\n1. We get static typing, which is a boost to reliability.\n2. We can write unit tests for client code without WebDriver, using GWT's dom simulation\n3. We can use the Java debugger with our code *running inside the browser* using the OOPHM plugin\n4. We can share vast amounts of model code between client and server\n\nThe list of GWT's advantages go on and on",
"score": 54
},
{
"body": "I develop in GWT, and am a fan of it because i'm a believer in static typing if you are developing a large application that will be maintained by many people over many years. And yes, i know javascript, i've programmed in it exclusively for 3 years. And yes, closures and functional programming are fun, but i wouldn't give up static typing to get them (at least in the the large program + large team scenario - if you just want to add a few dynamic effects to an otherwise static page, then I would just use something like jquery) Hopefully GWT will support scala some day.\n\nThe other benefits of GWT, the optimizations, etc, are a nice bonus as well.\n\nYou do sometimes have to deal with cross-browser issues, but that is rare, and that is no different than any other javascript library out there. I don't really think of that as a selling point, because every other javascript library deals with cross-browser issues as well.\n\nAll that being said, i find GWT to be one of those things where people either really love it or really hate it, there isn't much in between",
"score": 25
},
{
"body": "Google Wave is built on GWT.\n\nMy opinion is that GWT is an interesting idea but ultimately doomed.\n\n[Lost in Translation or Why GWT Isn’t the Future of Web Development](http://www.cforcoding.com/2009/10/lost-in-translation-or-why-gwt-isnt.html)\n\nBasically the idea that it gets rid of cross-browser issues is a myth since there's still CSS and I've had colleagues spend all afternoon trying to fix GWT layouts on IE just like any Web developer has done the same thing.\n\nThe convenience that a Javascript framework plus a scripting language has (where deployment simply means saving your text file and clicking refresh on your browser) is extremely hard to ignore.",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "it's a library that's perfect for making dynamic web apps when all you have are average java programmers. if you know anything about web technologies, then there are infinitely better ways of getting the job done.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "We had the opportunity to basically \"start from scratch\" on a project that generates millions of dollars of revenue. After evaluating all of the various options, we settled on RESTeasy and JQuery to create an API that the browser could access asynchronously.\n\nTwo reasons:\n\n1. If you work with any sort of diverse web development team, you have a developer who is great with HTML/Javascript/CSS/etc, but is not a Java coder. As you could imagine, GWT is not for them. Similarly, if your Java coders are unfamiliar with, say, how the cascade functions in CSS or why it's important to declare a specific DOCTYPE for IE, then GWT will only be helpful up to a certain point.\n\n2. If your Java gurus like GWT, they will absolutely love RESTeasy and JQuery. RESTeasy gives you, basically, the ability to serialize _any_ POJO into XML, JSON, or any mime type you want, with a very small overhead. It uses annotations (yeah, really!) to do all the work. Like so:\n\n @GET\n @Path(\"/user/{username}\")\n @Provides(\"application/json\")\n public User getUser(@PathParam(\"username\") @DefaultValue(\"\") String username) {\n (...)\n return UserFactory.getUser(username);\n }\n\nThe above function expects to return a User object, and RESTeasy will serialize it and all of its properties into JSON automatically. It's incredible, and if you want to spend about a tenth of the time you'd spend on GWT, you should check out RESTeasy and JQuery.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "I have a co-worker who wants to build an app using CakePHP and GWT. \n\nThis sounds to me like a terrible idea. Abstracting away the database and the javascript, leaving only middleware. Seems like the only way to accomplish anything interesting would be by accident. \n\nThen he said that before he continued, he'd have to implement XSLT in GWT. \n\nSo now I'm writing a secret project plan for the 'rescue' project to clean up after he utterly fails to produce anything workable.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "No. You're much better off using something like jQuery and writing real javascript. There are similarities between JS-avoidance and SQL-avoidance. In both cases, the cure is far worse than the disease.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Everyone's talking about how GWT abstracts browser incompatibility.\n\nForget that: What I love about GWT is that it abstracts client/server incompatibility: you can write code that is used on both the client and server *once*. The client code is translated perfectly into equivalent JavaScript. The server code runs as-is. That saves a lot of programming time.\n",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Can't really speak from personal experience, but my wife built a new UI for her company's product using GWT and she was very happy with it.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "In my opinion, GWT is for people who can't be bothered to learn javascript, css, and HTML because it is \"difficult\" to program for multiple browsers. Well, GWT is not an end all to the cross browser problem. I would rather be strong in JS,css, and html and have total control over layout instead of relying on a compiler to do it for me.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "GWT has a lot of enabling points for writing browser specific code. But the truth of the matter is that sooner or later you need to know how browsers work. Same as scaling up a server farm, sooner or later you need to know how disks work, how network cards work, and so forth. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "(disclaimer: never used it)\n\n(Tooling) If you are the Makefile / Terminal / vi kind of guy probably you won't like it, if you are the Visual Studio / Eclipse kind you'll like it.\n\nYou'll get debugging / re-factoring and that's cool. Personally I don't know Java so I don't really want to look at it. Dealing with Layout manually can be a pain (bonus point for GWT), but I can do it amateurish level with Blue-print CSS.\n\nIt makes me think of Adobe Flex, Javascript style.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My company developed their marketing/product software with GWT and we are learning to regret it very much. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "An interesting use of GWT is Vaadin. It's a web application framework that uses GWT for the UI, but has it's own concepts of client-server communication, data abstraction, and a great out of the box look.\n\nGWT will never replace a CSS/HTML developer, it'll just make sure you use them more effectively.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "We at Panraven do use it. Also, I personally use it now to develop IPTV middleware (yes, it will run on opera, on 300MHz processor on cheap hardware set-top box). As I don't write web1.0 apps, I see almost no place where I could not benefit from GWT. Not to miss closures, I chose Haskell for IPTV server-side.\n\nOne obvious advantage no-one mentioned is ability to make dynamic interfaces with Swing-style programming without any pain. Of course, you *could* do this in Javascript, but I would not hire you - for not using GWT for this.\n\nAMA.\n\nP.S. IMO, cross-browser issues problem is very exaggerated. Normally, you spend 1% of you time to abstract it once and forever for each issue. One notable exception is IE crash which takes longer.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What are some truly hilarious stand-up routines? | I'm already a huge fan of Louis C.K. and Mitch Hedberg. I also just saw Ricky Gervais' special "Out of England". Got anything else for me to laugh at? | 12 | [
{
"body": "I might get downvoted for this, but I really think Seinfeld's standup, back in the day, was pretty funny.\n\n>They make glue out of horses. I don't know who started that. Who saw that potential? That's pretty amazing to me. Working in a stationery store, a horse walks by: \"Hey, wait a minute! I think he could be glue.\"",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Burns and Allen. \n\n[Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084597/)\n\nRobin Williams when he is on.\n\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I can't believe no one has said Zack Galifianakis! His stand up is way better than the movies and stuff he's done recently, and even those are pretty damn great. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Kindle owners: is it worth it? | Lately I've been buying a lot of books on abebooks.com for generally around $5 each. They take about 2 weeks to get to me, but it's usually a good deal. But they take up a lot of space, and I'm thinking I would like to try using a Kindle. So I ask, is it worth it? What are your experiences using one? Are there good sources of free books out there (that are actually worth reading)?
**Edit**: Thanks for all the opinions. I'm going to sit on it for a week or two and re-evaluate, but right now I'm leaning towards buying one for the portability, access to multiple books at once, and ability to use [Calibre](http://calibre-ebook.com/) to put just about anything on there. | 91 | [
{
"body": "I. Love. My. Kindle.\n\nSrsly. I find myself reading more now that I have it. It's smaller than a book and easier to hold. Plus, I have cats that always want to get up in my shit and try to eat my book. No such problem with the kindle. I adore it.",
"score": 69
},
{
"body": "As a poor college student not only is the up-front cost massive, but I save MASSIVE amounts buying used books on amazon which you can't do on a Kindle.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "I should warn you that I'm a bit of a fanboy over the thing. This post is probably going to see a bit sales pitch'ish.\n\nNot really something I think anyone can really give you a firm yes or no on. They seem to fall pretty heavily into a love em' or hate em' with people depending on their reading and travel habits. Personally though, I consider it to be one of the single best buys in my life. I love reading, and I usually want to keep them for rereading or research later on. So libraries are pretty much out. The end result is a huge amount of books. And it's been bugging me more and more as the size has grown. Especially since at various points in my life I've wound up losing large amounts of them in a single shot. Even more when I began traveling a lot, and so often found myself traveling and being annoyed at not having a particular book to look something up in.\n\nThe kindle did an amazing job of helping with that. At current count I have over 200 books on the thing. Which is a pretty big space gain. Not to mention that it's also 200 books that I now have available at any time on a trip. Even better, 200 books which I can actually do keyword searches within. It's really awesome to find something interesting in one book and then be able to search in all my other books for additional information on it. \n\nI also love that I can just buy books on the device itself. More than once I've been on a long trip, finished a novel, and been able to buy and start reading the sequel in a matter of seconds. The samples go along with that and are also great. If there's a book you think you might be interested in, most if not all available for the kindle will have a chapter or so available for free. Then if you like that it's just a click or two on the kindle to buy the full text. \n\nThe internet part is also great. In theory, with the cost of purchase you also get free internet access with it as long as amazon's still in business. And while browsing the web with an e-ink device isn't the most pleasing of things in the world, if there's nothing else around it's great. Gmail's a bit of a pain, but I've used it on there before. Reddit rendered surprisingly well on it last I tried. And of course there's wikipedia, which I think [xkcd](http://xkcd.com/548/) did a pretty good job showing the utility of on there. \n\nAnother neat thing is the syncing with other services. You can take notes or make highlights in a book you're reading, and then have access to them from any web browser. And you can stop reading at one spot in a book, sync, and then continue reading the book on any computer that can run the kindle desktop application or on an iphone/touch. \n\nThe e-ink is really the killer feature. I really don't think people appreciate it until they've been using it a while. I scoffed at the idea on first hearing about it. Same on first time trying it. After really playing with someone elses for a while though it hit me how much easier on my eyes it was. And the gain in battery life is amazing. I think the time between charges is closer to one week than two for me, but in any case it's long enough that I can't remember the last time I wound up draining it from regular use as opposed to with network activity. \n\nThere are a few cons though. I have a 1st gen, and I wish the screen was just slightly bigger, for manga. I think the newer models take care of that though. And that might not be something you care about. \n\nUsing the net on it drains the battery pretty quickly, and the browser itself is rather clumsy. Not to mention that web sites really weren't thought out to be displayed on what's essentially a book. \n\nMine locks up every now and then. Not very often, perhaps once every three months or so. But often enough that I keep a paperclip in it's cover in case I need to do a hard reboot. \n\nFlipping pages in manga is significantly slower than in a normal book, even with processing options turned off. Though since reading them at all the way I do isn't even a supported feature, I probably shouldn't complain too much. Still, it's just blindly fast doing it with the same images on my sony reader compared to on the kindle. \n\nBit more bulky than some other readers, because of the internet stuff and keyboard. And the case itself feels a bit flimsy. Though I've dropped it (inside the case) more than a few times without any damage. \n\nSomeone pointed out the lack of a backlight, and I do agree with that. Or if not backlight, at least some kind of light. Back, front, whatever. It shouldn't be on by default, and wouldn't even have to be that good. But there's something really annoying about having to use a flashlight to read an electronic device if the power's out. \n\n>Are there good sources of free books out there (that are actually worth reading)?\n\nWell, there's free, and then there's *free*. You can toss anything from project gutenberg on there, which can be nice. But when I think of free what really comes to mind is how much pirated material there is out there. There's masses of them out there. I think the largest I've seen is a scifi ebook torrent which had about 5000 or more books. That said, when possible I really prefer just to buy from amazon. Both in terms of wanting to support authors I like, and wanting to vote with my wallet for the viability of ebooks in general. While a lot of stuff will eventually find it's way online illicitly, I vastly prefer it doing so officially on the day of release instead of having to wait for someone interested to scan it. And of course there is the occasional, rare, author who'll just have his books available online for free. Off the top of my head, I think I read blindsight and down and out in the magic kingdom that way. Not shockingly, this doesn't happen all that often though. \n\nIf you're into manga, I was kind of shocked at how well it does with that on free content. There's a few sites, like onemanga, that have semi-legal manga translations. Not all, but most of them render pretty well on the kindle with a little bit of preprocessing. Not officially supported, but amazon left a neat little trick for reading them in the kindle. \n\nEdit: Wanted to add a light complain in there as well.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "When I get open source, without drm and reduced prices (since it's only digital, no publishing required) then I will buy an eReader.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Kindle 2 and Kindle DX owner here.\n\nMost of the arguments against buying a Kindle are \"OMG REAL BOOKS ARE BETTAR!!\" This is easily solved by realizing the Kindle doesn't replace real books. I read on my Kindle in addition to reading real books. Sometimes I buy a real book because I really liked it after having read it on the Kindle. Other times I'm glad I saved the money. The Kindle is a convenience thing for me. I don't have to leave the house to start reading a book I'm interested in.\n\nI use the DX for textbooks primarily. It has worked out quite well with everything except my math book. The reason why, and something to consider, is flipping back to look at examples and stuff is a huge pain. I ended up just using bookmarks. If you flip back pages a lot to reread sections of a novel or something, you'll probably be annoyed with the Kindle.\n\nLastly, just get the Kindle. Only by having one in your hands will you know if you like it or not. Everything everyone has said here will just confuse the senses, including what I've said. When you get it, you have 30 days to decide if you hate it. As long as you don't ruin it you can send it back to Amazon for a full refund. [Kindle Return Policy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200144510)\n\nEdit: Grammar fix",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Well, I can't say for Kindle's but I myself have the Barnes & Noble Nook and I absolutely adore it. My biggest fear was that it would be a strain on the eyes to read but the display is a dream, and I have found myself actually reading more then before. As for book sources there are a lot of good sites where you can obtain free ebooks from but my two preferred sources are:\n\n[ManyBooks](http://manybooks.net/)\n\n[The Gutenberg Project](http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page)\n\nBoth deal in out of print books, those that no longer have applicable copyright in the US so they are free to reproduce. On them you can find many of the classics (Dracula, The Origin of Species, Sherlock Holmes, etc) and both sites allow you to download the books in a multitude of formats.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Got one for my mom for christmas. She is about as tech-challenged as you can get. \n\nShe loves it. uses it CONSTANTLY. Can go through books much faster and easier.\n\nShe doens't have great eye sight, so being able to increase the font size is a HUGE plus. And makes the ipod touch a non-option.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I love mine (Kindle 2). Rarely needs to be charged, books are fairly easy to find online, and where I would normally be too lazy to look up words in a hard-copy book, on the kindle I just move the cursor to the word and it tells me the definition.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I want to know about e readers as well. \n\nMy wife reads a lot of those paperback romance novels and shit like that. \n\nWould an e reader be a good gift for her?",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Sony PRS-505 owner here. They (digital vs physical) both have their drawbacks and you'll have to determine which is more suited for yourself.\n\nI think eReaders are definitely a good investment. The address two of your concerns (delivery of content and space). Look up a few of the future books you want to purchase from amazon and take a look at the prices. Maybe it will be worth purchasing, maybe not. You have to read a lot to make up for the device.\n\nMy book collection went from a couple hundred hardbacks to nothing. It freed up a lot of space that was collecting dust...so that is a huge plus.\n\nOne of the drawbacks though is when you purchase a book...you're purchasing a digital copy of the book. There is no resale value to it whatsoever. You can not loan it to a friend/family without actually providing them with the device. \n\nWhy the Kindle? It is a great device; there are a lot of differences between digital readers though. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Like most Kindle owners, I love mine. Highly recommended. \n\nIf you read one hard-cover per month, it pays for itself in about two years. But don't buy it based purely on the financials. I am reading more now than I ever did before; I attribute that to two things: (1) I can read on both the Kindle device and iPhone, so my book is ALWAYS with me; and (2) I can immediately get another book as soon as I finish my current one - no waiting to get to a book store.\n\nBut the thing that really makes it worthwhile is its size. Compare Steven King's new book _Under the Dome_. That thing is 1100 pages, about four inches thick, and weighs about six pounds. My kindle, by comparison, is about as thick as a magazine and weighs only slightly more. Which would you rather carry around? ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Four words: Reading on my side. I've read a fuckton of books, and I believe that I'm fully qualified to make the statement that *there is no comfortable way to read laying on your side.* Period. \n\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Best argument for a e-book reader: download [Calibre](http://calibre-ebook.com), select some RSS feeds and read full articles from newspapers and websites on your daily commute.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What precautions should one take before meeting a stranger online? | I'm a submissive girl who met an older dominant male on fetlife. What should I do before meeting him in person? What things should I find out? What do I need to know about him? | 15 | [
{
"body": "Here's my strategy and so far it's worked out well:\n\n* Meet in public and don't accept rides on the first date\n* Tell someone where you're going to be\n* Give someone his contact info - name, number, address, identifying information\n* Agree to check in with someone by a certain time\n\n\nAdditional precaution:\n\n* Have someone agree to call you roughly 30 minutes into the meaning and create a non-obvious \"help\" word. For instance, \"Yeah, it's going great!\" could be your \"call the police!\" line. You don't want it to be obvious in case you are in immediate danger.\n\nIt sounds paranoid but it's better to be safe than sorry. \n",
"score": 25
},
{
"body": "First of all, whatever you do, keep it unobtrusive. Men get stereotyped as predators enough; they don't need to be reminded. \n\nSecond, take whatever standard logistical precautions you think you need, and no more. Safety vs. fun is always a takeoff and *both* are important. Don't err too far on either side because of what someone else thinks. \n\nThird, your instincts/gut/subconscious feelings are your friends. They are the product of many millions of years of hominid social evolution. If something looks innocuous but feels unnerving, it's not a good idea. If something looks insanely dangerous but just feels thrilling and exciting... well, you get the idea. \n\nFourth, talk online for a while before meeting in person. People who are looking for someone to hit over the head and run through a wood chipper aren't going to want to invest much time getting to know you. ",
"score": 5
}
]
|
Does anyone often consider suicide not because life is unbearable, | but because it is simply so tedious and unrewarding? I do not live in discomfort and do not suffer, but I rarely feel joy. Work is soul crushing, recent romantic entanglements have been heart breaking, friendships are fading... despite my efforts, life is not coming together well. I spend too much time in bed thinking about how it is illogical for me to put forth so much time and energy and when I've seen little return. Life isn't bad, it just isn't good. | 17 | [
{
"body": "What makes you happy? Traveling, friends, reading, hikes, pets, games, anything?\n\nHave you tried talking to a therapist or medication? \n\nWhat is your job? Is there anything that could be changed to make it less tedious and more rewarding?\n\nIf you don't mind me being nosy, what happened with your romantic relationships? Why are your friendships fading?",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Yeah, I know how you feel, just don't give up, you never know what's round the corner. Perhaps something nice will happen.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Hi treah,\n\nThanks for posting!\n\nIt is my opinion based on my vast, vast experience of feeling almost exactly like you that you may be suffering from depression.\n\nDepression can affect anyone regardless how rich they are, or how \"together\" they may seem.\n\nHere's the deal: Go see your doctor, or a mental health professional, and they'll assess you to see if you're suffering from depression, and then they'll prescribe the best course of treatment for you.\n\nThey might prescribe you with an antidepressant, and the key to making them work is to keep the doctor informed as to how you're being affected. If you have a side effect like insomnia, then don't keep it to yourself and write off all meds, just get into see to doctor, and he or she will adjust it accordingly, or even put you on something else.\n\nMeds are only half the battle; the other half is changing the way you think. Even if you were to have success with the meds, if you continue to think negatively you'll negate the effects of the med. So, changing your thought patterns will help you have a winning combination. Here are some coping techniques that help me out. Give them a try, and you may notice a difference right away: Every time that you start to feel a negative thought enter your mind try this - simply breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth. This is a very, very ancient technique that will cause your mind to lose focus on the negative thought for a split second, and that will lessen the impact of the thought. - If you are like me, I tend to do self talk about whatever negative thought comes into my mind. What I've found that helps to stop them is by simply clenching my teeth. This stops me from vocalizing my thoughts, and that prevents the negative thought from affecting me as much. - This next technique is very effective, and that is you think of the funniest thing that you can remember, and every time a negative thought enters your mind you think of the funny thought instead. Stay away from the booze, or anything else that can alter your mood. Additionally, keep away negative movies, or comics...you need to watch comedy, and continually seek out anything that is humourous, and funny.\n\nYou are not alone. You don't have to feel like this and if you've already taken the first step in helping yourself by posting here!:-) Please continue to post to let us know how you're making out.\n\na1mck",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Modern postindustrial society is not constructed optimally for human happiness -- rather, it is constructed for those who can find adequate happiness in celebrity culture and consumption.\n\nI have not considered suicide but I have considered not getting out of bed and just letting my life go to hell. People tell me this is depression, but I respond that I don't want to want the crappy things that are on the menu. I don't want to care about homes in the suburbs, meaningless soul-crushing jobs, and so on.\n\nI want adventure.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Fellow redditors, what's the story behind your username? | My username is a bastardization of the [Defense Support Program](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Support_Program), a satellite system I work with. It's like a party in the sky and everyone's invited.
What's the story behind your username? | 57 | [
{
"body": "It's my name. I decided to drop my anonymity on the internet because I saw that my anonymous contributions were harsh and rude. Every time I post, I have to remind myself \"someone might see this and associate it with me IRL\"",
"score": 93
},
{
"body": "A friend typed my real Firstname Lastname into an email, and the auto-correct option suggested Simian Farmer for him as the right words. Added bonus is that I'm helping my wife raise two young sons. I liked that, so stuck with it.",
"score": 35
},
{
"body": "I tell ya what, man. That dang ol' Internet, man. You just go on there and point and click. Talk about W-W-dot-W-com. An' lotsa nekkid chicks on there, man. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. It's real easy, man.",
"score": 21
},
{
"body": "When i was in high school we would eat at the local Fudruckers where they asked You for your first name and last initial and we always told them, \"Ellis, Ellis D.\" That way when our food was ready they would announce over the loud speaker\" L.S.D. your food is ready L.S.D. your food is ready..\"Its stuck with me had the same screen name going on 16 years now",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "From The Young Ones, the \"Bambi\" episode.\n\n> Security Guard: Hang On, What's that?\n\n> Vyvyan: It's my mascot.\n\n> Security Guard: A pig?\n\n> Vyvyan: No!\n\n> Security Guard: It is.\n\n> Vyvyan: It's not, it's a ferret. A severely deformed ferret, I'll grant you that. So severely deformed in fact that it looks a little bit like a pig.\n\n> Security Guard: Looks exactly like a pig.\n\n> Vyvyan: Yes, well, it certainly has been remarked upon. In fact, just as John Hurt is known as the Elephant Man, Bacon Sandwich here is known as the Pig Ferret.\n\n> Security Guard: Bacon Sandwich? Funny name for a ferret, isn't it?\n\n> Vyvyan: Ha ha! And that's where I had you fooled. Because it's not a ferret, it's a pig. ",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "It's from Brave New World, a book I enjoyed reading during my senior year in high school.\n\nThe Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning (The DHC).",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "Even though I'm an ardent skeptic, I picked the stack of turtles to remind me to always try to stay open minded. Carl Sagan once said in Cosmos that one should never ridicule, but rather be objective with all ideas - no matter how \"out there\" they may seem. \n\nI don't always live up to such a lofty ideal, but I try.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "Mine comes from when I first started playing online games. Everyone was named names like DeathNukeXtreeeeem or InsaneMasterOfUltimateDoom so I took the understated approach.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "I've always thought that the name Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols was pretty cool so I took part of it as my own. ",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Black people always used to say, \"I'm in the house\" instead of \"I'm here.\" But then white people all started to say, \"In the house,\" so we switched it to, \"In the hizzouse.\" \"Hizzouse\" became \"Hizzizzouse\" and then white folks started saying that, and we had to change it to \"Heezy.\" Then, \"In the hizzle,\" which changed to \"Hizzle fo zizzle,\" and now because white people say \"Hizzle fo zizzle,\" we have to say:\n\nFlippity Floppity Floop\n\nThe last \"p\" wouldn't fit :(",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "In Pidgin, there is an option to Mute Sounds, I couldn't think of anything else so I stuck with that.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "\"Beans, beans, beans\r\nJessie had some beans.\r\nHe was happy, happy, happy\r\nand he ate some beans.\r\n\r\nNaked, naked, naked\r\nSitting cross-legged.\r\nNaked, naked, naked\r\nand he was happy, happy, happy.\r\nand he ate some beans\r\n\r\nWine, wine, wine\r\nJessie had some wine.\r\nHe was happy, happy, happy\r\nand he ate some wine.\r\n\r\nBeans, beans, beans\r\nDaddy ate some beans.\r\nand he drank some wine\r\nand he was happy, happy, happy\r\nas he drank some beans\"",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "From the Simpsons episode \"The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show:\"\n\n>Homer: How'd you get to be so good?\n\n>June: Oh, just experience I suppose. I started out as Roadrunner. [as Roadrunner] Meep!\n\n>Homer: You mean \"meep-meep\"?\n\n>June: No, they only paid me to say it once, then they doubled it up on the soundtrack. [to herself] Cheap bastards.\n\nI jazzed it up a bit with an \"h.\"",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "the day i created this acct i was 5 days away from some irritating/scary medical procedure. i can't remember which one. a biopsy or mri. whatever it was, it was all i could think about.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "There's this song called \"Finer Feelings\" by the band Spoon, and there's a line where he sings \"I was working part time at the Tasty Prawn.\" At the time, I found \"Tasty\" and \"Prawn\" to be a hilarious combination of words. Not sure why. (I was probably drunk.)",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I read Nietzsche in high school and thought I was being original. I was not into computers or anything, I just thought the 3s looked cool in place of Es. I am now a 25 year old college grad, and still use this name for numerous websites, some more important than others.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "It's a bit of onomatopoeia, As if you're talking to someone right before they walk into a pole or get pegged in the head by a big red ball.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "All my life i have been seen as someone who is constantly happy, when someone needs cheering up or advice about a crappy situation they're in i am there to help. When they need a shoulder to cry on or someone to have their back i am there to help. They see me as a charicature of a person, an entity without real problems or personality just a clown for their enjoyment, someone to use. I'm not good with my emotions or expressing how i feel so i just stand there and perform, letting everyones problems be heaped on me with my own buried beneath them. Most of the time i am the clown, I'm a really happy guy. I like my life and my friends and i like myself. But i am a whole person, not just a mask.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "For me, it seems as though everything I am associated has to do with the color blue. My profession as soon as I am finished with college will be in the Law Enforcement realm (blue uniforms). NFL I am a huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys (blue uniforms) and for College I am a Michigan Wolverines Fan (blue uniforms) hence the \"boysinblue\"",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "My parents died in a plane crash when I was 8.\n\n(not really, but that's what I tell everyone when they ask)",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I'm a huge Barenaked Ladies fan. One day in a chatroom I needed to come up with a name. The character limit held it to barenakedladie. Since I'm a guy, I shortened it to barenakedlad. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "First off, you work with satellites, very cool. Second, my username is swskeptic because I consider myself to be a [Scientific Skeptic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_skepticism) and I am from South-West Michigan",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My first post was \"Im a monstrous retard with monstrous retard striength.AMA.\"\r\n\r\nmy name isnt really jim",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My friends in university nicknamed me Hobbit (I guess I am very like them in temperament) and I love traveling.\n\nI do not have hairy feet nor do I travel much. Go figure, eh?",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I was in a rush so I lacked creativity. My name is Patricia so for some reason people call me Trishy some times.\n\nI have this weird thing about the letter x. I think not enough words in the English language start with x. Plus I like the way the letter x looks. So since I was a teenager I have been putting the letter x before and after my user name. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I'm into photography and I pillage peoples souls with my camera. It is usually photopirate or some variation but that was taken so I just shortened it.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I plucked it from a Latin textbook. Latin adverb meaning \"soon,\" but that had nothing to do with why I picked it. I just thought it sounded nice. I also like that it sounds like \"mocks,\" reminded me of Magic: the Gathering, and was somewhat reminiscent of \"moxie,\" another moniker I use.\n\nYeah, I'm a nerd.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I love yoyos and nintendo. Yoshi being always close to my heart, I put the underscore to mash the two.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "The Simpsons! Only a few people have caught it, but it's oh so lovely when they do!\n\n\n\nRelated note: I'm lonely",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "a qubit is a quantum bit. Back in senior year of high school, I met a guy who got me really interested in quantum computing at the intel sts research competition. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My name is Ariana, and I'm a pilot. My hope is that people misread it at first as air_raid, and then come around again and see it's Ari.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I have a pet skunk and have had one for the last 14 years. So I've always been some form of \"skunk,\" my license tag was PUSKUNK on my van for years. I'm this on every internet forum.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I always like flip but in every database there is always one asshole that gets the name first. So I called myself whattheflip, because I always say what the fuck when its taken.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
[tomt] Princess movie from around 1991 | My friend needs help identifying a movie she remembers from her childhood:
Ok... so I remember this movie, with I think a princess who is supposed to go and save a prince. I think it's from the Princess Bride time period, but it's definitely not the Princess Bride. She has a pair of shoes that can climb anything, but if they get wet, they don't work. She also has a cloak that when she spreads it, will create anything (like food). And she also has a knife in a weird wooden box. I'm not sure what that does.
I watched the Polar Bear King and it definitely isn't it. | 6 | [
{
"body": "[*Petronella*](http://www.allmovie.com/work/petronella-37903) (1978) - 12 minute animated short?\n\n[*Petronella*](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449087/) (1985) - 30 minute made-for-TV musical?\n\nOr perhaps a production of another Jay Williams story?",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Dear Reddit, I can't live like this anymore. Help me out. | I wake up at 4:30AM in the morning. I walk about 3 miles to work (Home Depot), work a 9-hour shift (5:45AM to 2:45PM). I pack a nice lunch and have a pretty decent time. I walk home, shower, and get dressed for my next job. I'm a host at a restaurant, but I do everything there is to do around the restaurant. This job is about 3 times as much work as Home Depot, but I only pull in about half as much. And many days leave me going home pissed off (a lot of drama). I take the bus to work because it's about a 20 min drive. On the weekdays, I'm home by 11. On weekends, 12 or 1AM. I get so little sleep it hurts. This is my typical day. I run this routine about 5-6 times a week, sometimes cutting a break when my schedules mash together perfectly- allowing me to take a full day off of work. I get to sleep in, get groceries, go to the gym, etc. I enjoy these days. In all, it's a tough week, but I'm hardly breaking even. I joined the National Guard on my 17th birthday, but I was discharged because I had an open law violation (traffic ticket) and couldn't ship to basic. I was immediately thrown out of my house, and all of the money in my college fund was given to my brother, who is 2yrs younger. So, here I am, already missing two semesters of school (I graduated with a 3.9 GPA, but didn't qualify for scholarships because of the National Guard), and most of the money I make goes to my day-to-day expenses (rent,food,phone,utilities,internet,bus tickets,gym). I've been doing this for 7 months. I don't have a car because I can't afford one right now. I want to go to school this fall, but with my current income, I don't think it's a possibility. Especially since my douchebag roommates lost their jobs. They eat ALL of my food. Please help me. I'm so tired of living like this. I will take anything I can get. Advice, online jobs & business opportunities (I am a sick web designer, and I can write a mean blog), buy things from me, start a businees with me (I am a pretty decent artist), tell me inspiring stories, anything that would help.
You could change my life, Reddit.
:)
EDIT 1: Thanks for the help, everyone. I'm heading to bed for tonight because I'm due at work in 6 hours. I've received a lot of good advice tonight that I will definitely be referring back to. Keep it coming! I'm loving a lot of this advice!
Special thanks to:
-**grokkin_it** for giving me some insight on my father situation
-**xandercruise** for the $$ saving food advice
-**birdface** for gym alternatives
- all others who helped stay and support! | 40 | [
{
"body": "Dump the two job bullshit and find one really hard and sucky job like brick laying or something that pays $15 an hour and work 50+ hours a week. Then dump your roommates and get a cheaper place(one of the single room things close to a campus). Save up a $500 and buy a rear wheel drive volvo, ugly but they run forever. Next find a woman who has a job and move in with her. BAM!",
"score": 24
},
{
"body": "Cut down your food and household expenses to absolute minimum. Learn to cook supercheap food in bulk, so you don't spend more than $20/week on food.\n\n[/r/frugal](http://reddit.com/r/frugal)\n\n[/r/cheap_meals](http://www.reddit.com/r/Cheap_Meals)\n\nbonus: if the only food in your house is rice&beans, your roommates probably won't eat it.\n",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "downvotes are assholes. \n\nNow that you've realized that you cannot do this forever, you should make a plan, short-term and long-term, and wirte down the steps you have to take to make those goals happen. Here are some suggestions: \n\n- find new roommates or get a cheaper place\n- look into attending a university. student loans and a part-time job can easily get you a place to live, food, and an education during school. live on campus in the summer and work full time. same is true for graduate school, and paying off student loans isn't bad if you have a job. \n- think about a sales job or other job where there is no cap on income. \n\ngood luck!",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Cut your gym expenses. It is not a necessity right now in your situation. You might be able to find some free or cheap gym equipment on Craig's List. Get a chin-up/pull-up bar. Jog around your area to relieve stress and exercise. ",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Go to Alaska and build a cabin in the woods, not as difficult as you would imagine, I believe in you. ",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Wow. That is balls, man, and I have a lot of respect for you. \n\nCan't give you a job, but, here's my $0.02. \n\n - Gym memberships are hella expensive. Cancel your membership and try doing body-weight exercises instead. You can run outside, do pull-ups on playground bars, pushups, etc. Look on Craigslist for cheap weights. Medicine balls can be DIY'ed by getting a cheap basketball, cutting it open, filling it with sand to the desired weight and then adding that expanding foam stuff that comes in a can to fill up the rest of it. Seal it up with a bike tire mending kit. You now have a medicine ball. If you really feel like you need the gym, go to the Y instead. It's significantly cheaper. \n\n- Get a bike. It doesn't have to be great, but don't get a POS either. If you're in an urban centre, there are places that will make you a bike out of cast-off spare parts for pretty cheap; otherwise, look at Craigslist. You can get a pretty decent commuting bike for about $200 or so, especially if you buy one out of season (October's a pretty good time). That 3-mile walk in the morning and back can be cut down to a 10-minute bike ride. You could also get a good backpack designed for running and jog to work to reduce travel time, but it really depends if you have a locker at work that you can keep clothes in, a shower, etc. \n\nBest of luck, man. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "To start with, find a cheaper place to live. Rent a room from someone. Instead of being a host at a restaurant, try to become a server, you will get tips. Perhaps you can find a civil service job like at the post office or something. Usually you can just take a test to get them rather than having to have a degree. Good luck.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Get a better job, move out of your hovel, and try to make up with your parents - you glossed over this point pretty quickly, but it seems to me there's got to be much more story into you getting kicked out of your parents home just for not getting into the national guard.\n\nI reckon you really need to sort some shit out with your parents...",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Now that I *have* money, my credit scores are slowly creeping downward? What's going on? | Hi, Reddit,
Recently I came into some money, and, happily enough, was able to completely pay off my credit card debt, as well as a smaller student loan. We're talking about $15,000 dollars of debt, gone. Paid off, like the responsible person I am. Yaaaay! Right?
However, over the past month, my credit scores have dropped significantly - from 740 to 710, in the worst case. As far as I can tell, my identity is secure.
What on earth is going on? Is there anyone I should contact in regards to this? Any help would be appreciated. | 3 | [
{
"body": "Problem is, *you completely paid the debt off*. They want you to have about 25% of your available credit used. It's not meant to measure responsible people as much as it's meant to measure profitable people. A person with no debt, pays no interest.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Did you close the accounts? Closing credit card accounts reflects negatively on your credit report for some odd reason.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "You did the right thing. Don't sweat that score.\n\nLast time I paid interest was 20 years ago. Since then people have been paying me. My money makes more than I do.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What's a common symptom of being sick that you hate the most? | I'll go with stomach aches; I hate them so much. The worst part is that it also makes me feel hungry, sometimes I can't differentiate the two. A close second would be coughing. | 3 | [
{
"body": "The nausea for an hour+ before puking. \nI wish it would just hurry up and happen. \nI always feel better after I've finally puked when sick.",
"score": 5
}
]
|
Best pistol for self-defense, CC? Am I on the right track with A Beretta? | So I'm considering buying my first gun. I was going to get it for Self-Defense, CC and some plinking. I need something that is cheapish and reliable. I don't need anything huge like .45, just 9mm. Any thoughts on what I should look at? Side note: I was looking at the Mossberg 590 persuader as well for home defense. Anyway, I am totally new to gun ownership and was looking for some tips. Thanks, guys. | 9 | [
{
"body": "I would highly recommend a revolver if you're a first gun owner. It has simple mechanics, doesn't jam and easy to use, easy to clean and maintain. If you've not an experienced gun owner, you can't go wrong with a revolver.\n\nMy first gun, and CC is a Ruger SP101, got it used, at a very good price (easily under 500). For some it might be a bit heavy for a CC but it is very reliable and very accurate.\n\nAs others have said, go to a gun range or ask friends who have guns, and try as many as you can. The only way you know a gun fits you is if you shoot it.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "I'm partial to Glocks in 9mm myself, but it's a matter of personal preference. I would say you are on the right track if you are considering a gun in 9mm. Any bigger caliber would not be ideal for a first gun. I can't say I would go with a Beretta handgun. In my experience they are not reliable, but that's what I've shot, ymmv. \n\nBig thing is, have you ever shot a gun before? At all? If the answer is no, in my opinion you should really look into some sort of training class fairly soon. You should also go to a range that allows you to rent guns and have them help you there. If you lack the experience, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into, and you really need to. I hate to sound preachy, but safe gun handling only comes with knowledge and experience. The biggest thing to me when choosing a new gun is comfort. If you aren't absolutely comfortable with the way the gun feels to you, you aren't going to like it. Go and handle some various guns, and see what works best. If you ask me, the Glock 19 would fit the bill for you. Good for self defense, smaller size for concealment (which really is another story), and fun to shoot. \n\nIn any case, have fun, buy what you like. As far as 12 gauges go, you really can't go wrong with one. Mossberg 500's are decent, multifunction guns. Every collection should have a 12 gauge. Just get a full stock, pistol grips are good for looking cool and hurting your wrist and not much else. Good luck, good shooting, welcome to the club.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I assume you're referring to the Beretta 92. I don't care for its large size and trigger. For the first shot, you have a long heavy pull to cock the hammer and fire. Subsequent trigger pulls are short and light. This is a solution in search of a problem. The pistol itself is very reliable.\n\nThree pistols I'd recommend for your short list are the Glock 19, Springfield XD, and S&W M&P. All three of these pistols are reliable designs with good ergonomics and aftermarket support. That puts them ahead of 99% of the pistols on the market. All of them are double-action only (DAO) designs, which means that the first and all subsequent trigger pulls are the same, and have the primary safety integrated into the trigger, which makes them simple to operate.\n\nThe Glock 19 is an excellent pistol if you have big hands. Glocks in general have thick grips and a long trigger reach. This makes them tough to shoot for people with medium or small hands (which includes me at 5'8\"). Other downsides are that the magazines don't always drop free and their design regularly pinches your hand when seating them. The grip angle is also different than the 1911, which can be a problem for people that shoot both.\n\nThe XD is a solid pistol for folks with small- or medium- sized hands. Downsides are that the trigger isn't so hot and is difficult to improve. The bore axis is also somewhat high, which leads to more muzzle flip than competing designs. Crap also builds up fairly quickly under the XD's extractor for some reason. Mine has never failed to extract, but the extractor's grip on the case rim is not as positive after a few hundred rounds of dirty ammo. The XD also uses a grip safety. It's not as positive as a 1911 grip safety, but the one on my XD has never failed to deactivate.\n\nOf the three, I much prefer the S&W M&P. It uses a very solid interchangeable backstrap system to fit a wide range of hand sizes. The magazines reliably drop free and don't pinch your hand. The low bore axis also reduces muzzle flip. I and many others were amazed that S&W produced such a fantastic pistol after decades of shipping crap.\n\nAll of these pistols are relatively easy to conceal. The Glock 17 and M&P Pro get a little big. The mini Glocks, M&Ps, and XDs are significantly harder to shoot well than their mid-sized kin. A common mistake made by inexperience shooters is picking a pistol that's too small for them to shoot.\n\nSee if you can find a range or friends where you can take them for a spin. And don't forget taking a good pistol class!",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I'm assuming that you are talking about the Beretta 92.\r\n\r\nI have a Taurus 92, which is essentially the same gun (I think Taurus bought one of the factories). The Taurus 92 is really big. I wouldn't expect it to work for CC. For everything else though, it is amazing. Reliability-wise, it is great. I haven't shot with mine all that much, but I have a much more gun nutty friend who has run many rounds through one he got used. Neither of us have ever had a failure to fire. Mine feels wonderful in my hands, it is a dream to shoot. The mechanics all feel right. I am a piss poor shot with anything that doesn't have a scope, but my friend shoots his (and mine) as well as he shoots anything.\r\n\r\nI cannot recommend it enough if you are willing to accept the fact that it won't be concealable without a puffy winter coat. I would suggest the Taurus 92, since it is cheaper. I got mine in stainless steel (so pretty) for significantly less than 500 a couple of years ago. I cannot imagine how Beretta's would be any better. If you have a friend that knows what to look for in a used gun, this wouldn't be the worst thing either.\r\n\r\nI seriously can't say enough good things about it.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Why I love Dell technical support | Last Friday I discovered that my 3 week old, $2,500 Dell Vostro 430 would no longer boot. This was accompanied by a large increase in POST time, and no drive spin-up noise. I checked the drive cables, and tried to check the disk through a linux live cd, but nothing I did would make the drive accessible, it could be detected, but not accessed. After a quick google, I found that the model of hard drive in the machine (SAMSUNG WD103UJ) was found to 'brick' without warning, or following some disk clicking.
Today (Monday) I gave Dell technical support a ring, and they agreed with my conclusion that the drive had bricked, and have sent out a new drive, with my choice of brand. In total, I was on the phone for 7 minutes, this includes the time it took to navigate the phone menus, and wait for a technician. The guy I spoke to spoke English with no trace of an accent, and was extremely helpful.
I was pleasantly surprised by this, as I have heard many horror stories of people spending hours trying to convince the user that it was not their problem, and I was fully prepared to have to argue for hours to get a new drive, but as I write this, a new Western Digital drive is winging its way towards my mailbox. Great support Dell, I will definitely be buying again.
**TL:DR**
* Dell support sent out a replacement disk with no argument
* A+ support, would call again | 4 | [
{
"body": "Our whole shop is about 99.9% Dell, servers, desktops, lappies - just north of one thousand. Has been for more than 12 years. We've had the occasional 'lovers spat', but the vast majority of support cases very similar to OP's.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Dumbest proof of god you know? | What is the dumbest proof that somebody has offered you for the existence of god? For me it happened recently when I got into a mini-debate with my mom and sister. My sister said that in one of her english classes at university she was assigned a book to read. She read the book early on in the class as she said it was a good book. Well after some time a test came up that was open book. Since it had been a while since she read the book she didn't know where the quote was that she wanted. So she said a little prayer, opened the book, and miraculously it opened to the exact page where the quote was. Therefore god exists.
I facepalmed so hard my head hurt for days. Let's hear some of your stories about people with dumb proofs of god. | 33 | [
{
"body": "The Bible said people wouldn't believe in the Bible so if you don't believe in the Bible then you're just proving it right and God exists.\r\n\r\nSerious.",
"score": 33
},
{
"body": "How else could it have happened? It doesn't make sense any other way. \n\nIn other words, \"Because we don't know how all of this happened, we know how all of this happened.\"",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "It's gotta be\n \n God is perfect, \n one of the attributes of perfection is existence, \n therefor God exists\n\nAlthough\n\n I have a concept of God\n That concept couldn't exist unless God existed\n Therefor God exists\n\nis a close runner-up (I like to call that one the Santa Clause proof, because it works just as well/badly as proof of Santa).\n\n",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Mine is the very generic idea that when someone gets lucky god did it, while ignoring when someone is unlucky. After September 11th there were a lot of feel good stories on the news about people who had been found alive, were late for work that morning, etc. My boss at the time kept saying of the people who got out, \"Well those people were living right\". I had never wanted to punch a 60 year old woman in the mouth up until that point. I just couldn't get her to understand that by her logic 1. the people who didn't get out must have deserved to die, and 2. that god must have done this or let it happen. I should have facepalmed her.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": ">and miraculously it opened to the exact page where the quote was. Therefore god exists.\n\nI disagree - that's actually one of the better arguments I've seen. It shows that she is using sensible criteria (evidence), and I'd say the *form* of the argument is fine, it's only the *degree* of evidence it provides that is the problem.\n\nThe main problems are that she's failed to adjust the probabilities proportionately to the improbability of the event, and that she's succumbing to selection bias. (ie. a book opening at the right page isn't *that* improbable - not sufficient to make a God the most likely explanation. One opening at the right page once in a lifetime is pretty likely in fact - but that's the one you'll remember).\n\nFor me, the arguments that annoy me are those which even the *arguer* doesn't believe, but sound superficially convincing. Some people have mentioned Anselm's ontological argument, which is frequently used this way. For actual *dumbest* though, I think it has to be the arguments from young earth creationism.\n\nTo believe in God because of feelings or mistaken evidence, you merely have to fall foul of common biases and social pressures all humans are subject to. To argue it because you claim the evidence *supports* a 6000 year earth, supporting the bible, you actually have to work hard at the delusion. The sheer weight of contradictory evidence you must ignore, and the fantastic rationalisations you must undergo to convince yourself that it actually indicates a young earth reach a nadir of dumbness that can't even be approached by those who just spout dumb answers because they haven't really thought about it.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "\"God demands that we believe in him without evidence, which is why there's no evidence, which proves God exists\". \n\nYes, some dumbass actually provided this brilliant piece of reasoning here on reddit a few weeks ago.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Anything that is perceived as complexity denoting a designer. It's hilarious though, because it implies the person is too stupid to understand the workings of whatever they just brought up.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I had a friend who once tried to use the \"million dollar\" defense from the Santa Claus,when i said god doesn't exist he said \"how do you know? Have you ever been to Austrailia,have you ever seen it? How do you know that exist?\" I almost laughed so hard that i couldn't even respond to him,needless to say it was one of the dumbest reasons i've heard in my time as an atheist.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "\"There's been so many strange/weird/bad/unexplainable things happen in my life. I wouldn't be here today if someone wasn't looking out for me. Therefore God exists.\"",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Am I squatting too much? Do I need a belt? Paleo for weightlifters? How much should I weigh? Questions from a novice lifter. | First, some background info. I'm just under 30 years old. I am 5'2" inches tall and currently weigh in at around 160 pounds. Last march I picked up weightlifting after having not touched a barbell in quite some time. My approach was one of an almost total beginner. Someone pointed me towards stronglifts 5x5, and I was off to the races.
Fast forward to November and I dropped from ~195 to ~160. I look better I feel better. However, I felt like I was stalled. Doing more reading and research led me to starting strength and a 3x8 method. On an SL-style 5x5 I had managed to get my squat up to 205 pounds, but couldn't seem to break past that. Using an SS-style 3x8 I just hit 225 last week. A milestone! Problem is, that my next workout I had trouble with squatting at my previous days weight, and I felt like my DL suffered for it to.
Here's the 3x8 split I have been using.
Workout A:
Squat 3x8
Bench Press 3x8
Bent-over row 3x8 (sometimes 3x10)
Workout B:
Squat 3x8
Overhead press 3x8
Deadlift 5x1 (stalling at 245 pounds)
Alternating workout A and B on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So ABA on week one and BAB on week two.
A 225 pound squat is 1.4 times my current body weight. At this level I feel like maybe I should change things up and rewrite my workout schedule to something more like this:
Workout A:
Squats 3x8
Workout B:
Bench Press 3x8
At least2 more related exercises.
Workout C:
Deadlift 3x8
At least2 more related exercises.
Lately on days where I squat then bench I have been getting a weird twinge in my hip, sometimes my left, sometimes my right.
So on to my questions:
1. Should I rewrite my workout scedule to be one main lift per session (Squat, bench, deadlift)? If so, examples would be great.
2. At these poundages, should I be wearing a belt? stronglifts gives me the impression that a belt is bad, but I need more info before I can make a decision.
3. At 160lbs I look a lot better now than I did this time last year. But how much should I weigh? Standard height/weight charts put me at 101-136 pounds. I don't want to be a damn stick! Problem is I still have a gut that hangs a bit over my belt. Its visceral (or intra-abdominal) fat, so I know its going to go away slowly, but I'd like an idea of a reasonable weight range for someone my height who lifts like I do. Examples in the form of pictures would help.
3. On the nutritional front, I have discovered that a paleo-style, eat-when-you-are-hungry approach has been working well for me. My bowels are happier and my skin is clearer. So the question is: Is there a paleo-style meal plan anyone can suggest to make sure I'm getting the nutrition I need given the stresses I'm putting my body under? | 6 | [
{
"body": "1. No. You're not lifting crazy weight, so do three lifts/session. So long as you have the ability to get through the session and the time, do the whole session.\n\n2. Yes. Wear a belt. A belt, is like a barbell. It is a device that allows you to exert more force.\n\n\n3. If you want to be stronger gain weight. If you want to be more cut up lose weight. It's pretty much that simple. You sound though like you want to be prescribed a weight that you should attain, so I'll play that game. You are 62 inches tall. If a typical 68 inch weightlifter aims to be a lean 200 lbs, 182 lbs would be a reasonable weight to shoot for. Ignore standard height weight charts because they presume that you don't have muscle mass.\n\n4. Well, SL, SS, etc. reccomend you drink a gallon of whole milk every day, to recover sufficiently from the program. I guess that's not paleo, but well shit. Do what you have to do.\n\nWhy are you doing 3x8? I don't get novices that decide to make up their own programs when there are proven programs out there that work like a charm. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Which should I read next | I recently purchased [Great Novels: The Barnes & Noble Classics](http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Great-Novels/Barnes-Noble/e/9781400673872/?cds2Pid=17978&linkid=1441800) with a $25 gift card I got for christmas. I'm currently working my way through Great Expectations but once I finish that I need a recommendation for the next in the line up.
* Moby Dick
* Brothers Karamazov
* War and Peace
* Don Quixote
* Jane Eyre | 4 | [
{
"body": "Brothers Karamazov if you think you can get through it. It explains the human condition perfectly. I think it was Kurt Vonnegut who said everything you need to know in life is in The Brothers Karamazov. That's some pretty high praise.\n\nIf that doesn't sound interesting, try out Moby Dick or Don Quixote. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "*Don Quixote*. It revolutionized fiction. It went a long way in defining the modern novel. It directly influenced a large portion of western literature. It's definitely the place to start. Eventually you'll read all five so start with the first.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "As far as Jane Eyre is concerned, it depends on your tolerance for romantic schlock. I'm a girl, and I hated the thing. I barely got through the long passages that amount to - I love you - I love you more - No I love you more - I couldn't live without you - Nor could I - blah blah blah. Yes, it is written in a far more poetic way, but it is emotionally equivalent and just as unrealistic. It really isn't on the level of the other books you mention, which is sad because it is the only book on your list by a woman. \n\nOf the books listed, I'd choose Don Quixote. It's one of the funniest books I've ever read, and one of the few books that long that I was sad to finish. I missed the characters afterwards as though they were friends. I haven't experienced that with any other book. Moreover, it's deep. The Man of La Mancha butchers Don Quixote, reducing it to a story of a deluded man tilting with wind mills. It's so much more. I think the windmills episode takes up a handful of paragraphs at best. \n",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Hey NetSec: Do you save your passwords in-browser? Use an App like Roboform or LastPass? Or just type it in every time? | Opinions?
Edit: So I gave Roboform a test run but didn't really like it; especially the fact that it doesn't integrate into Chrome. I fired up KeePass (I was due to change my passwords anyway) and just have that being kept in my TrueCrypt volume which is stored in my Mesh. Not as easy as something like 1Pass but it will do for now... | 38 | [
{
"body": "KeePass database saved in my dropbox. Safe (enough), backed up, synced and usable on my win7 desktop and os x laptop.\r\n\r\nI let KeePass generate all my passwords and I don't even try to remember them.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "I use [1Password in Chromium](http://support.agilewebsolutions.com/showthread.php?22003-Sneak-Peek-An-early-alpha-of-1Password-Chrome-Extension&highlight=chrome). ",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "depends on the site. an account like this one on reddit is meaningless so ill save it.\n\nemail is more important so ill type it.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "LastPass here. When I used Firefox (now using Chromium), I went with the built-in password management with a master password.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Save it in browser. I operate on the if-they-have-physical-access-I'm-pretty-much-screwed-anyway philosophy. I minimise non-physical access, and *ensure* no one else has physical access.\n\nYay for laptops!",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "[Clipperz](http://clipperz.com/). With offline copies, it's equivalent to KeePass. But I can access it from anywhere, including (with its one-time passwords) public locations that potentially employ basic keyloggers.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
[Offer] My girlfriend will draw pretty much anything for a lucky few of you, (anything within reason). | Make a post in this thread and she'll draw whatever it is you like, maybe you want a wallpaper, or a personal drawing as a gift to a loved one or family member, maybe someone in hospital?.
(I say within reason because I don't want pictures of goatse narwhal bacon images tied to my account)
She's great at drawing cutesy/anime styled art. Here's an example of something she drew yesterday:
http://imgur.com/3Tf9b.jpg
This is me and her apparently, it seems she's the cute mushroom and I'm the blob fish in a jar.
carstairs's Chickan : http://imgur.com/QDl0o.jpg
squidboots' Squid with Boots: http://imgur.com/7ieN0.jpg
NickDouglas' Mole Rat: http://imgur.com/3b78Y.jpg
tsondie21's Star Wars Bears: http://imgur.com/fcD41.jpg
BlaZingPenguin's BlaZingPenguin: http://imgur.com/J9eHL.png
dogon2112's raccoon: http://imgur.com/kx9vD.png
offmyself's Panda: http://imgur.com/q9Kew.png
[YesterdaysNewQuintet](http://www.reddit.com/r/Favors/comments/aqthr/offer_my_girlfriend_will_draw_pretty_much/c0ixmoe)'s Girlfriend: http://imgur.com/jdUTn.png
advocatadiaboli's Ballroom WoW Dancers: http://imgur.com/lfNn1.png
Emmster's Vegetable Kitchen: (reduced size) http://imgur.com/U5IUJ.png Original was 4000x3200
Edit2:
The quality of her drawings aren't going to be as high as the example I showed above as she spends a good few hours at a time on pictures such as that, the pics above take her ~30 mins or so.
She told me to say "If they want higher quality pics, tell them to send me an email and I'll take more time". But, whilst I think that's really sweet of her, I hardly think it's fair for her to take hours out of her time. Her decision though I suppose.
Edit 3:
Hi!
I'm Shyeju
when I woke up, I saw lots of coments
your coments made me so happy
I think I should hurry up now!
thanks for everyone !
**emmster said she'd be willing to pay for a picture, I just spoke with my girlfriend and she said she'd be willing to do higher quality pictures for people who want them. If you PM me what you want drawing, how long you'd like her to spend on them and how much you think would be a fair payment we'll get back to you.**
Paper or digital. | 62 | [
{
"body": "Can you please have her draw the TF2 Sniper and Spy as best friends, side by side, skipping along and holding hands?",
"score": 35
},
{
"body": "ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod\n\nI would absolutely **love** for her to draw me a picture of a squid in a pair of boots. Like, its longest two tentacles in boots. Or something. Seriously. I give her creative license, my only stipulation is that the squid must be in boots.\n\nOn a side note, I really like that she represented herself as a cute mushroom in that photo (I'm a mycologist.) :D",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "Can she draw a [naked mole rat](http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/PhotoGallery/AfricanSavanna/photos/20020227-4427nmr.jpg) saying \"Nick loves Rachel\"? It would be a semi-anniversary present for my girlfriend.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "I really liked the drawing you linked to. If I had a noble cause I would ask for a drawing but I do not. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "She looks extremely talented. \n\nI have an intense fascination with bears. In my opinion, bears are awesome. I am also a huge star wars fan. I would absolutely love bears fighting with lightsabers or in some sort of star wars situation. I can't tell you how much I would appreciate this. Even if its not star wars, something awesome with bears in it would be super fly. \n\nYou and your girlfriend seem to be nice humans.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Oh my god, that's really good! Does she do this professionally?\n\nAnyway, my request: 2 World of Warcraft characters ballroom dancing. My ballroom team has it's own guild! :D\n\nOr if she doesn't want to do WoW characters, just two people dancing?",
"score": 3
}
]
|
3 X Servers > Flash | I'm quite sad at the state of Flash on Linux. I'm actually able to get a lag free experience when running 3 x servers in which the two extras are each running a Virtual Box Virtual Machine (Win XP and Lucid Daily) compared to trying to play a Vimeo HD vid. In addition I was also compiling Irrlicht in the Lucid Machine. This on a Intel Core 2 Duo running Karmic 64 bit. Also using latest intel drivers from xorg-edgers ppa. Hopefully flash is abandoned in favour of newer technologies which perform well on all platforms (already using the html5ifier in chromium) or adobe shapes up and improves flash performance.
On a sidenote: I don't really see why people bash Intel cards so much. There is only so much you can expect from an integrated card. In actuality I find it performs pretty well for my uses. | 5 | [
{
"body": ">Hopefully flash is abandoned in favour of newer technologies which perform well on all platforms\n\nIt depends on what you mean by Newer Technologies, but in a sense I want Flash to be abandoned in favour of Old Technologies.\nWhat I'd want is a VM that has a CPU style architecture. In fact it would be a subset of X86. Sandbox it (up to the implementation to figure out how to do, Many ways possible). Give it a Frame Buffer, A looping audio Buffer and Decent Timer interrupts and the optional ability to call javascript Functions.\n\nWith the right X86 instruction subset (mosty chop it down to change it to a Load/store Architecture). On X86 you can run with very liitle speed hit due to loss of instructions. On other Processor platforms, The Subset is very easy to JIT (most others ar load/store risc and have more regs than x86)\n\nWith an approach like that the VM doesn't do very much, It's job is to do what it does extremely well. Being Simple means that more than one person can have a realistic attempt at implementing such a thing to try and improve. Chances are it could do Video decompression fairly well within the VM (we're not talking perfect efficiency here, it just has to be better than flash). Video is, however a special case, as video acceleration is offloaded from the CPU with other hardware, you may have to provide similar support for a VM. But the key would be to provide the bare minimum to achieve the performance while keeping the flexibility of having most of the system in the VM. \n\nAt some stage this year, I plan to have a go at making something like this. I would encourage others to do so as well. I'll probably fail, You probably will too. The thing is for something like this to work only one person who attempts has to succeed (an I do think this is in the realms of a one person Job to get a good working base). That's what developing for the community has over companies. You can build something then push the thing that works. Businesses build something then have to push the thing they build whether or not it was the one that worked.\n",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Anyone interested in adopting my kitty? | He's an adorable, well-behaved Maine coon mix. I rescued him last year from a shelter and have loved and cared for him to the best of my abilities. He's fully immunized, registered, and neutered (not de-clawed).
I thought I did a pretty good job taking care of him, but a year in, he cries for attention and I know my inadequacies. I'd love to set him up with a nice family that will love him the way I simply can't. I've got the adoption papers with chip # and everything you need.
Coty loves bacon and lasers, and I'd assume narwhals. I live in New Jersey and will drive to you. If you are big-hearted, e-mail me at [email protected].
Edit: Still no luck! Anyone in the Tri-State Area want an adorable cat?
Edit: Anyone closer than Calgary want an adorable cat? | 11 | [
{
"body": "I am in Canada and already have 5 cats... I appreciate that you have cared for him, but am I correct in reading that you are getting rid of him simply because he meows???\r\n\r\nalso cats should in no way have bacon..\r\n\r\nbe sure to check any prospective new owners, good luck. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "If you got him from a shelter, please check the adoption contract. You may be required to return him rather than rehoming him yourself, and whether or not that's the case, I strongly recommend returning him to the shelter, where they are better equipped to screen potential adoptees.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I am so glad he is not de-clawed - I really hope you can find a new owner who will also keep his claws intact.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
The Religion Paradox | The more you understand about scientific theories the more understandable they seem.
The basics of global warming happen because C02 trapped in the atmosphere causes a greenhouse effect. (over simplified, I know, but the point remains)
But in religion, the more you know about beliefs and religious reasoning the *less* sense they make.
Just a thought that I had today.
| 3 | [
{
"body": "The rational mind resists the absurdities of religious belief. This is observed both by atheists and by the more intellectual sort of theist, e.g. Catholic theologians. The difference is that the theist *embraces* this contradiction, in precisely the manner described by Orwell as \"blackwhite\" and \"doublethink\". The authority of God (rather than The Party) is more cognitively important to the theist than his own rational mind's perception of absurdity or falsity of the doctrine. The fact that the doctrine appears false to the rational mind is so much the worse for the mind, indicating the mind's sinful nature.\n\nThis is yet one more example of how divine authority, rather than factual truth -- or \"God's Truth rather than man's truth\" -- is the foundation of theistic belief. Theistic belief is not so much a form of *propositional belief* (belief in the truth of particular statements) but rather a form of *trust and submission* to God's authority.\n\nSome Protestants phrase this as \"belief *on* Jesus\" rather than mere \"belief *in* Jesus\" -- that is, not merely assenting to the propositions of the faith, but placing personal trust in Jesus. The same notion lies at the root of *Islam* -- which is not merely belief, but personal submission to God's authority.\n\nThis has implications for deconversion. If you want to put an end to theism and its horrific effects, don't consider it as *a series of false propositions*, whose falsity the deconverting theist will come to recognize. Consider it as *an abusive relationship*, whose unworthy authority the deconverting theist will cease to respect and submit to.\n\n(This comment inspired by *1984* and *His Dark Materials*, yes.)",
"score": 9
}
]
|
AskReddit: Is this racism? | **WARNING: Racial epithets and profanity throughout.**
This may be the most perplexing relationship I have ever personally witnessed:
My uncle Roger\*, who is a white, middle-aged, tough as nails redneck, owns a small 3 to 5 person construction business in rural North Carolina. His longtime right-hand man is a older black guy we called Kojak\* whose reputation is that he is the hardest working dude you will ever meet.
As a teenager, I would sometimes work as a gopher with the two of them. My first day, I nearly had a stroke when we get to the job site and my uncle says to Kojak: "Hey, nigger, get the fuck up on that roof and get to work."
I was stunned to hear Kojak reply sincerely "Yes, massa'" in a submissive tone and with a smile. Throughout the day, my uncle calls out in sing song tones "Where's my nigger at?" and "Anybody seen my slave?" but Kojak never does more than reply "Here, massa!" and "Working, sir!"
I am literally waiting for an invisible line to be crossed and the two to come to blows, but it never comes. We work until late in the night when Kojak finally says "Roger, fuck dude, I'm tired." My uncle (who has been working just as hard and long) *immediately* calls it a night, with the rationale that if "the nigger's tired, then I'm tired."
I cannot quite describe the profound awkwardness I felt as a 14 year old kid listening to those two.
And I can't quite figure out if I had just witnessed full-blown racism or the most un-PC relationship I had ever seen, mainly because of what happened several months later:
Kojak's daughter and grandson are brutally murdered by her jealous ex-boyfriend. The only person he will let anywhere near him is my uncle, and I still remember the sight of the two grizzled old men literally bawling their eyes out in each other's arms. My uncle shut his business down for a month, losing tens of thousands of dollars as a result, because he did not want to work without Kojak. They still work together now, over a decade later, and anytime I stop by to see them at work they still banter on and on about Kojak being a nigger and my uncle combing the hair on his nuts because they outnumber the hairs on his head.
Fucking weirdos.
*\*Names changed*
Edit: Would like to point out that Kojak talks shit right back to my uncle, usually a lot more descriptive and clever stuff like "Goddamn crackas had to go lose the civil war and make a nigga get a job" or "Roger, stop scratching your goddamn balls. There's a hair wrapped around this screwdriver!"
My uncle would laugh his ass off. | 140 | [
{
"body": "Actually, they sound like the best of friends and I got a little choked up reading this. I'm a black person myself with mostly white friends, and I admit to tolerating and even fostering this kind of display with those I trust the most. \n\nIn my mind, it is to point out the ugliness in the world, not to *be* the ugliness, but my girlfriend, who is white, has a shitfit if she hears me doing it. \n\nMy mother (black), who is still married to my step-father (white) after 33 years, also does this sort of thing privately with me, but my step-dad would be extremely uncomfortable with it. It's just tasteless unless you're somehow close to it, which I think, says something about your uncle. My discomfort with being black in certain situations shines through with irreverent humor...and I imagine your uncle had a symmetrical type of discomfort...he and his friend dealt with it, and it bonded them. \n\nThe form of throwaway humor people use tells you something about how they are processing the world around them. A homophobe who is trying to get over his angst about having a gay acquaintance will make offhand comments for years until he finally gets it out of his system and has fully absorbed the lesson his exposure is teaching him, and oddly enough, years down the road if someone else makes the same joke about his gay friend that he used to make (and forgot about) he will become red faced with anger at their audacity and will verbally lambast anyone who dares to exhibit the same ignorance to his friend. I've seen it. Irony for sure.\n\nBut all this is why in my adult age, I don't tolerate the off-color race jokes from people I've just met anymore. Believe me, people start that right away. If I'm say, helping someone move, and at some point I have to carry a television from the house to the moving van, you can bet your ass that one of the moving friends I've just met is going to make the decades old joke about a black man carrying a television set...but having just met that person, it's a red flag. And as I've gotten older, I've gotten sick of holding people's hand on that journey. I've already made my friends. The rest of you can go fuck yourselves.\n\nAnd if you trust them, it's a form of humor that signifies the bond between you. It can be endearing, but it's definitely not for public consumption. I have this sort of relationship with my band and my half-brother, whose name is Steven but whom I call \"Stegro\", but never, ever in front of my dad (step-dad).\n\nAnd I'm certain there's a class of human being out there who is going to have to hold my hand while I shit out the discomfort a sheltered life of ignorance has given me. I just don't know who they are yet. Hmm...I think probably, Mormons.\n\nPosted from my phone, so forgive any T9 weirdness. ",
"score": 79
},
{
"body": "My guess: They went through a REALLY deep issue together and share a familial bond. I guess they are as close as two people who are not related or swapping fluids can be. FWIW I'm Black (or Light Skinned with no hint of Negro Dialect according to some members of the Senate...)",
"score": 51
},
{
"body": "The short answer: IMHO No.\nThe longer answer: If you define racism as the use of certain words, phrases, etc. then you would be right to call this kind of behavior between people offensive. However, in my opinion, racism is defined by unreasoned fear and hatred towards a fellow human based on their perceived inclusion in an ethnic group. You don't need to use words like \"nigger\" and \"massa\" to harbor these kinds of ill feelings, and in fact some of the worst racists I know would never, ever use language like that. I should know, I'm racist myself. \nDespite my best efforts to erase my early prejudices, I find myself making snap judgments about the content of someone's character based on their physical appearance. Since these racist judgments are based on internal unreasoned fear, I find it impossible to just think them away. At least I'm aware of my own worst tendencies, avoid rush decisions about those whom I meet, and don't pretend that I'm a fine upstanding citizen just because I don't use \"those words.\"\n\nSo what is it that these two men have that allows them to use language that extreme? I believe it is love, a brotherly bond that permits them to use \"pet names\" for each other (sort of like married couples calling each other \"pumpkin\" or \"bobo\") which in most cases can only be expressed by American males in a negative way towards each other (unless they want to be suspected of homosexuality, and let's not get into that snakepit of emotionally loaded verbiage.) \nI say Hooray for them that they have found a way to express an intense feeling of kinship and belonging that generally goes unspoken between men.",
"score": 34
},
{
"body": "a better title caption would have been :\n\n'have you ever had this cool of an openly racial-epithet fueled friendship as this?'",
"score": 26
},
{
"body": "I would think they are lovers & this is some weirdo foreplay. It has the added bonus of throwing nephews off the track.",
"score": 21
},
{
"body": "Racist? Not really. It's completely un-pc, but they obviously have a very close, tight bond and respect each other. I grew up around that type of salty bastard, and even though I'd never want a relationship where I spoke like that to another person (even I have my limits with vulgarity), it seems to treat them both well. \n\nJust be careful who you introduce to either of them.",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "Yeah I agree with everyone else, apparently: it sounds to me like it's just a really close friendship they've got going, and it's just a game they play when they talk to each other*.\n\n\n*Also it sounds to me (not that I know them, mind) like it might be a game they invented after a night on the tiles, when just about everything is funny...",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "I had a friendship in university like this. My friend Rob (black guy) and I would go to the lunchroom and sometimes I would jump in front of him in line and shout \"BACKADABUS\" and he would just look at me and go \"DAMN\". \n\nThis one time he told me he stole chicken wings from the supermarket he worked at. We both stared at each other in silence for several seconds and he went \"....yeah, I know.\" Faking racism with each other was awesome.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "My brother had something similar with his click in High School; not 10 years ago. They referred to the Chinese friend of the group as \"little chink-chink\" and my brother as \"cracker.\" It was mostly for shock value.\n\nPeople get too hung up on words.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "It's called \"being mates\".\n\nWhen you're mates with people, you rib them in a million ways - no boundaries... Asian friends are called charlie... white guys are \"devil\" or \"cracker\"... ALL your mates are \"gay\", or want to \"fuck their own mother\"\n\nThe way you've described it, you've described two guys with a very strong friendship, and a very tongue in cheek way of showing it.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "This is a very interesting game they play, and I don't doubt that, some time in the past, they've come to blows or very nearly come to blows. Long and deep friendships are like that. Still, they're roleplaying. The part where Kojak said \"Roger, fuck dude, I'm tired\"? That was Kojak breaking character, and Roger picked up on it immediately.\n\nThey've been friends for decades and have a depth of friendship that's genuinely rare these days. Also they're fucking with you.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "If they are both okay with it who cares. That said, if I was working with them and they insisted on using those terms it would be a difficult experience. \n\nThose are some really loaded words and if you have been subjected to that crap your whole life you don't want to hear it where you work. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Something that I have viewed in my life. At the various companies that I have worked at, to use the N word (and I don't) is something you can be fired for. Fair enough.\n\nBut I have watched people who are in positions of management never use the word, fire people for using that word, yet they constantly make sure that black people can not advance within the company. At the same time, I have seen people who would use the word, yet they actually promote people based on merit, and not who was white. So you got to see a lot more black people end up in supervisory positions. So who was the racist in that situation.\n\nAnd then there is the time that one of the captains that worked with the husband, and he got his ass chewed out for using that word. His reply to the manager was \"I had never met a *N that wasn't a better person than you\". He didn't last real long at the company... but it was a gutless company, and the guy he said it to was a gutless bastard.\n\nBut there is a difference between dissolving racism and being PC. I absolutely hate when you see a company that is PC, but then they create the glass ceilings to where black people can not advance, yet incompetent white people do. That is not only true racism, but it is holding down their standard of living.\n\nWhere my husband works right now, there are a lot of black deckhands and tankermen, but he works with the only black pilot at the company. At least they have one. Kirby transportation still had not had a black wheelman when my husband left the company, in 2001.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Chill out, man. If they haven't crossed \"the line\" with each other by now, it's probably not going to happen. I'm a total white dork, but every black friend I've had has been totally comfortable with me talking a little shit, making slavery cracks, etc., and I expect it right back. Some people are just a little more ...abrasive than others. And I'm sure they got to know each other pretty well before he started running his mouth. That is to say, I doubt his friend started taking his insults up the ass from day one and eventually got used to the abuse. Black folk are capable of putting their foot down if shit rubs them the wrong way. They don't need some punk white kid coming to their rescue.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Very sad and happy story. Sounds like an awesome unpolitically correct relationship. Politically correctness is fucking gay anyway.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "> Throughout the day, my uncle calls out in sing song tones \"Where's my nigger at?\" and \"Anybody seen my slave?\" but Kojak never does more than reply \"Here, massa!\" and \"Working, sir!\"\n\nYour uncle and Kojak are an extremely kinky gay couple. Check for bondage gear.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
DAE feel constantly exhausted? | I can sleep for any amount of time and no matter what I am still tired, even just after waking up. It really sucks. | 29 | [
{
"body": "I was always tired during the day and could never figure out why. I tried changing my sleep schedule anywhere from 6 to 10 hours a day and nothing helped.\n\nRecently, I found the reason I couldn't sleep. It was my mattress. I started sleeping on a memory foam mattress a little while ago. It is AMAZING. I can sleep for 6-7 hours and feel perfectly refreshed the entire day. It's the deepest, most refreshing sleep I've ever had. Seriously I will fall asleep in a position and wake up the next morning without moving once.\n\nTry getting a new mattress. Think about it, you spend a third of your life on your mattress. It is worth having a good one, even if it does require investment. I know being a student you probably can't afford a memory foam one, but maybe get a decent mattress and put a 4\" memory foam cover on it. It is worth it, trust me.\n",
"score": 6
}
]
|
I tried homemade bread today for the 1st time. I need help for next time. Simple white bread. | I do not have a bread maker. I kept it as simple as possible 5 ingredients water, sugar, yeast, flour, and butter. Structurally speaking it was damn near perfect. Nice firm crust, soft and doughy inside filled with nice tiny air pockets (a little less than i would like but i will knead it slightly less next time). Flavor wise it tasted like...... well dough, (flour and water). Suggestions? | 8 | [
{
"body": "Salt, you need alot of salt in bread to make it taste like anything. As in put in the amount you think you need, then double it. I struggled with this for a long time. \n\n Also it may not have been cooked all the way through if it tasted doughy. I recommend using a digital thermometer and cooking it till the center is around 190 degrees",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "You can try to make the no-knead bread. [This is a vlog](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFHgumTgRzU) I watch quite a bit and has both recipe and technique. The chef, while over the top with swearing and drunkeness, can cook his arse off in a tiny space and every recipe of his I have tried has come out perfect. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Who else wishes there was skill-based matchmaking in MW2? | I do, for one. It may sound lame, but I would kinda like to be able to play with people who suck as much as me, and not just constantly get killed. And who knows, maybe some of the really good players would like to play against skilled opponents. I dunno. I guess it's too much to ask, but it's pretty sad when I can play all afternoon and not get a single fucking killstreak. | 15 | [
{
"body": "I'm not much of a gamer. I suck at console controls for FPSs as well. So, from a bit of an 'outside' perspective... there's a lot about the MW2 multiplayer experience that just sucks. I absolutely HATE the 'estate' map... and there's no way that I can choose what maps I'm playing, or what maps I choose not to play. I absolutely HATE that when I'm waiting for matchmaking to find me a game, and tosses me into one that has already started, that I have no option to cancel when I find out what map it is.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Am I the only one who actually think that there is some sort of skill-based system in place? Every once in a blue moon, my friend and I will rack up some seriously impressive scores a few games in a row, and, invariably, the next time we sign on to play, we get raped by guys way better than what we usually see. Has anyone else perceived a pattern like this?",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "They should do this with anyone that isn't prestige, or anyone with a lower than .90 kill/death ratio.\n\nBut that would involve, like, programming and stuff.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What would you think of a school where students design their learning plan? | It seems like all schools are based on a system of micromanagement, where the teacher tells the students exactly what to learn and when. I think it would be good to allow high school students to study what they are interested in. The students would outline what they will study and when, and would research materials in a library. There would be teachers to approve the curriculum, ensure that they are working and meeting goals, grade assignments, but it would be the student's initiative driving them. | 9 | [
{
"body": "I think a set curriculum is important as it introduces new things that the student may find interesting. How many people go into college knowing their major? ",
"score": 8
}
]
|
Is there a "diplomatic" way to respond when a
believer tells you that in their christian gatherings
lots of people were miraculously healed? | Case in point, my mom.
Small context tidbit: i'm a closeted unbeliever living with my mom (money problems and lost job, i'm working on it but unemployment is very high here where i am in South America and my living situation is getting more and more common), who got angry at somebody last year because he put in his facebook status "Happy Darwin day", 80-90% of the TV she sees and 99% of the music she listens to is christian, and sees going to church everyday at 4AM for 3 weeks as something very good.
This week she's telling me that in the last church gathering she was in, part of a start of the year campaign by the church (the 4am thing was the end of the year part) there were lines of people testifying on how they had been miraculously healed, and this is not rare in this church.
I know she'll use this in the future when i finally declare that i don't believe, so i wanna be ready for that.
I know of the power of suggestion and peer pressure, i know of the power of deceit by church leaders, i know of the chance of a purely natural healing that had the right timing for the event and so on. But i wanna be able to debunk it all without offending her if possible. Yes, pretty much a lost cause when fundamentalism is involved, and yes, i'm not the most articulate when actually speaking with others, so i may be setting myself for failure, but she's still my mom, so i want this to be as painless as posible for everybody involved.
Also, sorry if something doesn't make sense, maybe i hit my head with the language barrier and that was the result, plus i'm sleep-deprived today. | 6 | [
{
"body": "I wouldn't count out the fact that the church might be bribing some of the people to say these things. Some of the smaller denominations make a lot of money (people usually have to be *really* whacko to believe in things like LDS or scientology and they are willing to pay large percentages of their income to the church), so I wouldn't be surprised to hear that these 'healed' people are just paid to say so.\n\nThat's a bit of a stretch, but the best way to counter that is to remind them that science is what advanced medicine from the dark ages (AKA:Christianity's chokehold on western society) to the age of MRI's and EEG's. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Ask her what witnesses were present at these miracles, and whether or not they'd be willing to submit to rigorous scientific scrutiny. I can tell you the story about the mysterious stranger who tackled me out of the way of an oncoming taxi running a red light, but that doesn't make it a miracle even if I never got to thank the fellow who saved me.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "You have your own problems.. worry about yourself. There's no need to try to talk your mom out of her beliefs.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I'm in South America too, and the issue with miracle healing is a big one. Both of my grandmothers prayed for the health of a sick relative, at the end thanking God or [Jose Gregorio Hernandez](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Gregorio_Hern%C3%A1ndez) for taking away the sickness, or that \"it was their time\".\n\nFrom my point of view, it is better if you keep your declaring of a non-believer for later, the whole idea of the non-existence of a God is not conceivable for most people in Latin America. Also, is by any chance your mother into one of those [Pare de Sufrir](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Church_of_the_Kingdom_of_God) churches? If that is the case, I will have to recommend you even more to not tell your mom about your atheism, at least not yet; the power of convincing people of those guys is enormous.\n\nSuerte!",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Post one link to a Wikipedia entry of importance, something you think that others should know about (but often don't) | The idea behind this thread was to make a list of general knowledge links, don't feel like you have to find something amazing (in the true sense of the word) just something important.
Please feel free to follow up other peoples post with related articles. | 62 | [
{
"body": "The CIA covertly fed pregnant mothers LSD against their will, among other acts. I couldn't believe this was actually real...\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK-ULTRA",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "[List of fallacies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies). \n\nIf you're trying to write a convincing argument, it helps to know the pitfalls. ",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "[The Vela Incident](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vela_Incident)\n\nIt isn't all that amazing I suppose, but working in the field it never ceases to amaze me.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "[Graham's Number](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham's_number)\r\n\r\nThe largest number we have a use for. Trying to grasp its magnitude is dizzying. \"...the observable universe is far too small to contain an ordinary digital representation of Graham's number...\"",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMF#IMF.2FWorld_Bank_support_of_military_dictatorships\n\nI love this little table, even though it is immensely sad. If you look at it carefully, you can begin to see how a group of enterprising assholes have done a wonderful job of enslaving whole nations. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "This is actually from a reddit post a couple of months ago. It details what was referred to as [Operation Northwoods](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods) which oultines plans for the government to stage \"home-made\" terrorist events in order to boost morale and justify their military intervention in Communist Cuba during the 60s.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiacs\n\n\nFans and critics have described Cardiacs' sound as complex, varied, intense and entirely unique,[2] with the music magazine Organ commenting that **\"one Cardiacs song contains more ideas than most other musicians' entire careers\".**[3]",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Here's [Paul Farmer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Farmer), founder of Partners in Health and UN Special Envoy to Haiti. Here's his brother [Jeff Farmer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVBDUZArpSY), also known as New World Order Sting in the professional wrestling circuit. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_superiority\nIllusory Superiority, Optimism Bias and Depressive Realism, the tendency for people who are \"mentally healthy\" to dellude themselves into thinking they are better than they are, to be able to motivate themselves to continue achieving things.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "[50 Cent Party:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party)\n\n>50 Cent Party (五毛党, pinyin: wǔmáodǎng), also called 50 Cent Army, is the name for paid astroturfing bloggers operating since 2005 from People's Republic of China, whose role is posting comments favorable towards the government policies to skew the public opinion on various Internet message boards. They are named by the 50 Chinese cents, or 5 mao, they are paid per such post, though many operatives are volunteers; other names are red vests, red vanguard and the Five Mao Party. Conservative estimates say the 50 Cents Army employs tens of thousands of bloggers, some estimates say as many as 280,000–300,000. Their activities were described by Chinese President Hu Jintao as \"a new pattern of public-opinion guidance\".",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Programming Books With The Best Source Code | I recently finished reading Mat Buckland's book Programming Game AI By Example, and came away from it quite impressed by the quality of the source code for the demos, and the care that had been taken in constructing them. The book itself was filled with UML diagrams and quite a bit of discussion into the actual design of the software, which was quite welcome. They are are available [here](http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/9781556220784/samples/) should anyone be interested in seeing them.
Another book with impressive accompanying source code was Modern C++ Design, for which much was based around the design of [Loki](http://loki-lib.sourceforge.net/), an interesting C++ library created by the author.
That said, I've found that most books about development ship with very underwhelming source code - often incomplete, not very extensible and undocumented. What are some books that you found to have surprisingly good accompanying source code, reddit? | 42 | [
{
"body": "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (Hal Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman)\n\nElements of Programming (Alexander Stepanov and Paul McJones)",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "Read anything by Dijkstra, CAR Hoare, Knuth. Any book where the authors discuss and create their own languages/notation is usually fairly good (at least the ones I've read so far are good).\n\nI find that if the writer can write well, then their code is just as readable even if there is no compiler in existence for their language.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I am shocked no one else has mentioned [W. Richard Stevens](http://www.kohala.com/start/). Both [Advanced programming in the UNIX Environment](http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Environment-Addison-Wesley-Professional-Computing/dp/0321525949/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263857243&sr=8-2) and [UNIX Network Programming](http://www.amazon.com/Unix-Network-Programming-Sockets-Networking/dp/0131411551/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263857290&sr=8-2) are chock-full of perfect UNIX code. (Obviously, C only).",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "> very underwhelming source code - often incomplete, not very extensible and undocumented.\n\nKeep in mind that the code in a book exists to serve different needs than real code in a code base. Page space costs money and code not central to the point being discussed is a distraction, so maintainability and completeness are often discarded in favor of brevity. Likewise, documentation isn't a priority: the entire book serves that purpose.\n\nHaving said that, I like the code samples in K & R. They do a good job of balancing brevity with still being complete enough to type in and run them.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Is it unusual to be constantly exhausted? | I'm always tired. It doesn't matter how long I sleep, how active I am, or how well I eat. I wake up and I'm instantly tired. Is this unusual? Any ideas on how to fix it? Making a doctors appointment, I hate to suggest anything to them or self-diagnose, but the last two times they kinda just gave up after one initially wrong diagnosis. I should mention that no matter how tired I am, it still takes me ~1hr to fall asleep, I don't know if that's related or not...
edit: In good shape (not overweight, fairly active), take multivitamin nearly daily (forget sometimes), no lymes disease/mono, not on any medication, got a general blood test a while back that turned out clear, I've heard I'm a quiet sleeper so sleep apnea is doubtful | 18 | [
{
"body": "Not normally. There can be a lot of causes. Sleep apnea is one, some medications cause fatigue. One symptom of type II diabetes is chronic fatigue.",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "I was constantly exhausted until I started working out. Just good cardio helped incredibly. You would think that it would take energy away, but no it gave me more.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Just gonna throw in my 2 cents, that depression is something to be considered as well, it can zap your energy too. And sometimes the symptoms of depression don't look/seem like depression, in other words, its not always just straight up sadness.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "This might be too basic, but are you drinking enough water? Fatigue and unexplained tiredness are early symptoms of mild [dehydration](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydration). ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I had the same problem. Doctor did some bloodwork and found out I had a huge Vitamin D deficiency. Check it out with your doctor. I started taking a vitamin d supplement and it really helped.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "try getting less sleep, I had the same thing was going to bed at 9.30 waking at 6.30-7am\r\n\r\nStarted going to bed an hour or two later and had a heap more energy",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I'm in the same boat as you engineeringstudent, except I'm physicsstudent :) I'm tired all the time and I drink massive, _massive_ amounts of caffeine to try to compensate. My blood is fine, I take vitamins usually, I'm in good shape and I sleep, on average, what should be enough. I have no solution, but if I ever find one I'll remember you and let you know. Good luck to you.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Microsoft blatantly hung up on us - so this is how to crash IE8 | So while working on a bug for my company's website I stumbled upon a fairly annoying problem with Internet Explorer 8 (**XP only so far**).
After 2 attempts at explaining this bug to Microsoft and failing to finish a single call in a professional manner ( i.e. **Can you hear me now ? *cough* *cough*** *hung up* ) I have given up so this is how you crash IE8
*BTW this only works if SmartScreen filtering is ON on build 8.0.6001.18865 and the file needs to be hosted*
> <html>
> <body>
> <script>
> var div_html = '<div><div>foo<br /><a href="#">foo</a></div><div id="1foo">foo<br /><a href="#">foo</a> | <a href="#">foo</a></div><div id="2foo"><a href="#">foo</a><br />foo<br />foo</div><div id="3foo"><a href="#">foo</a></div></div>';
>var frame;
>function newIFrame(){
> document.body.appendChild(frame = document.createElement("iframe"));
> setTimeout(changeBody,100);
>}
>var y = 0;
>function changeBody(){
> frame.contentWindow.document.body.innerHTML = y++ + div_html;
> setTimeout(changeBody,1);
>}
>setTimeout(newIFrame,1);
></script>
></body>
></html> | 874 | [
{
"body": "I've got an easier way to crash IE.\n\nOpen it.\n\nEDIT: Holy fuck this is the most disproportionate amount of karma I've ever gotten.\n\nEDIT 2: I'd like to thank the academy.",
"score": 780
},
{
"body": "Seriously - they hung up on you? If you PM me the details of the support call, I can try to follow up.\r\n",
"score": 246
},
{
"body": "In case somebody asks: it works fine under Firefox, Konqueror, Chrome and Arora. No crashes or freezing after letting it run for a minute.",
"score": 40
},
{
"body": "I've dealt with MSDN many times and with the exclusion of IE8, they are always courteous. When I tried to report a hard crash of IE8 based on pure HTML (my version crashes the system with no javascript and only a few lines of valid html), I get bounced around departments like a pingpong ball. It's like they offer top notch service except for IE8.\n\nThat said, how the hell did you get them to hang up on you? It's not in their MO, unless you went to one of the incompetent departments, which MSDN is not.",
"score": 40
},
{
"body": "Am I really the first one to look at the actual code? It invokes changeBody in an infinite loop, changing the iframe innerHTML with every call. This is worthless code.",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "Wow. You found a way to crash a *browser.* And Internet Explorer no less! Stop the presses!\r\n\r\n[Click here to crash Firefox, Opera or Chrome.](http://njr-team.com/wp-content/uploads/crashfirefox.html)",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "If you tried to report a bug to tech support I don't doubt they hung up on you.\r\n\r\nThe place to tell microsoft about bugs is.\r\nhttp://connect.microsoft.com/",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "I tried looking on Microsoft's site for their security contact, but I got lost.\n\nMost companies have a [security contact](http://www.apple.com/support/security/) for when you find an exploit. Maybe someone has MSFT's bookmarked and can send them a link to this thread.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Calling some outsourced call center about program issues didn't work out well? I'm shocked.\n\nBack in the Win 95 days, we would've at least bounced you around between cubicles, then put you on hold to go have a smoke.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Who exactly were you talking to? I'm guessing someone who was way above their pay grade with this particular problem. I have had microsoft on multiple occasions (completely unexpectedly) have their people who seriously knew their shit call me back after failed troubleshooting calls.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Am I the only one that is interested in how that particular build of IE8 is trying to execute that Javascript code? ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Hey /r/gaming, I have a couple of extra Star Trek Online beta keys, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Gamestop employee :D | I have two extra beta keys that I scored from work tonight and if anyone wants to try out the game just post a comment and I'll be glad to send you the key/instructions to register!
Edit: I'm all out (sent them to the first two in the thread, sorry I only had two! My boss wouldn't let me take all of them :P ) | 3 | [
{
"body": "You've got to be kidding me. All that lurking in /r/physics and I could've been obtaining STO keys. Oh well, I hope the two who got it enjoy.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "my fellow Redditors, i give you a gift. Here is a key that works multiple times, enjoy guys and see you in game. key --> JIH MUSHA SOH",
"score": 3
}
]
|
I am confused over the arguments between the democrats and republicans. Can anybody clarify? | the democrats claim to be the party for the average citizen and the republicans support big business, industry, nationalism and god. But why has the US been primarily elected the republicans. | 3 | [
{
"body": "From the canadian perspective, it seems like the republicans have made it their point to be the crazy person's party. Since the US has a higher per-capita rate of crazy people that most of the world, this has proven successful.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Democrats believe that the government is the source of all that is good in this country. The Republicans used to believe it was the individual and the free marketplace. The Republicans in this country have been let down by their party because many Republicans who are currently elected do not believe and/or vote along the lines of preserving individual liberty, smaller government, economic responsibility, fewer taxes, and preserving the Constitution. Democrats have been let down by their party by the progressives who have hijacked it ( Reid, Pelosi, Obama, etc. ) and are pushing for socialism/marxism instead of the values that have made this country great ( hint...it wasn't government ). I don't feel the majority of Americans ( of either party ) are being served responsibly by their parties - and I also believe we have the dumbest electorate in history, so the average voter isn't even remotely educated on the platforms they are promoting.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Meh. Half of it is politics as a game and so called \"wedge\" issues. Immigration, abortion, civil rights. Republicans have the moniker of being better with money (history may or may not disagree). Democrats have the moniker of being more socially tolerant. Then there's the regional issues. The southern strategy, the big tent, racial voting blocs.\n\nHmm. None of that likely makes sense. It's complicated kid, have a pony.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Happy MLK Day! Trees | "You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court’s decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may well ask: “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. **Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.** I would agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.”
Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: **An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.** Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Letter from a Birmingham Jail,
1963 | 31 | [
{
"body": "on Alan Turing day I speculate about the numeric honesty of nature and it's expression as a complex result from a simple system, on Shakespear day I express myself openly and eloquently absorbing all the finer details in my rich and full speech, Bacon day I rationally comprehend life through the cool lens of rational inquiry... \n\nI suppose i should actively not judging people on the color of their skin, it's kinda hard to do though in this world and be noticed doing it; not saying racism has finished in the world but it's certainly the normal and expected action of any decent human to treat people of all colors and creeds the same- truly it's impressive the absolute social shift which words as powerful as his helped to bring about. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
I know a lot of you guys don't like Halo, but I just wanted to say this: Fuck you Bungie. | I bought the first heroic map pack. Then I bought Legendary. Cool, a freebie, Cold Storage... Then I was patient and waited for Mythic to be released to DLC because I didn't want to buy that P.O.S. RTS that should have been ported to PC.
Now, you release Halo ODST. I borrowed it from a friend to test it out. The campaign was engaging but firefight lacked dynamic gameplay. I wasn't sold.
Now I still enjoy Halo 3 online. Unfortunately, you have tied these two games together making it almost impossible for me to enjoy Halo 3 any longer without purchasing ODST to get the "Mythic Disk."
Fuck you. I'm not buying your game, just to re-buy a game I currently own, with only 3 new maps. What kind of business model is this? When will companies stop tying games together like this, and how is this even legal? I buy your game, along with the many (overpriced) add-ons, then you lock out some of the features of the game, and the "key" costs **sixty fucking dollars**. This is absolute bull-shit. Fuck you, Bungie. | 7 | [
{
"body": "Wait... what? I just played Halo 3 for the first time in a while today, and I was pleasantly surprised that even with no DLC downloaded, I was only locked out of four of the ~20 playlists.\n\nI mean, I know it's popular to hate on Halo, but this dude is just making stuff up.\n\nedit: According to [Bungie.com](http://www.bungie.net/online/Playlists.aspx), of the 16 regular playlists, only **three** of them require the Mythic disk. One other playlist requires \"all DLC,\" which I assume means everything but the mythic disc. The other **twelve** playlists are open to everybody.",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "Didn't MS set the price for ODST? Originally, Bungie came out and said they didn't view it as a $60 title. dunno... I bought it and felt ripped off. ",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "I bought TF2(computer) for 20$ last year. They are regularly updating it with new maps and equipment for all classes every few months or so, for FREE. Just switch to valve, they are the shit. ",
"score": 7
}
]
|
Reddit KOTH Classic is underway! Week 1 map: koth_viaduct | The tournament matchups have been set! Because there are an odd number of teams one team per week will have a bye. View your matchups here:
http://challonge.com/redditclassic
**Each team will be expected to get in touch with their opponent to figure out when they can both play.** To get in touch with your opponent I have conveniently alphabetized and compiled a list of teams complete with contact info here:
[Reddit KOTH Team Contact list](https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmuCg2kvMXXydEYwY0c5UzBpR1hQREJGUkxKY3FLOVE&hl=en)
Each team captain will be given limited admin capabilities on a dedicated match server to play your games on. That should be set up by tomorrow. Next Friday & Saturday (1/22-1/23) I will be available for any teams wishing to play their matches then. If you want to play on one of these days please sign up for a time below (2 spots available for each time). There will be two spots for each time. A 10 minute grace period will be given but if your team isn't present we'll move on to the next match. **IMPORTANT: IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR MATCH PLAYED BY 9:00 PST, SUNDAY 1/24 YOU WILL BE MARKED AS A FORFEITURE** | 13 | [
{
"body": "Here is a complete formatted list for anyone interested.\n\n**3Wx**\n\nBulltp\n\nDraw \n\nSaxton Hale \n\nNOM NOM NOM \n\nPhobia\n\n**Amazon Go-Kart Brothers**\n\nMarSP\n\nOut Kindly\n\n[GGG] Spookyman-X\n\nExtremePopcorn\n\nALT-F-X\n\n**ATP**\n\nbuzzsnuzz\n\n_purple_haze_\n\nPopisfizzy\n\npmac135 \n\n**Butt Touchers**\n\nBreloom\n\ndrpepper\n\nn00dles\n\ncardboard\n\nkupo\n\n**ChHa**\n\ndrolkcal\n\n[GitP] Dispozition\n\n[YuGiOh]Captain Skill\n\nArbitrary\n\n[ChHa/GitP]Watsyurname\n\n**Defenestrators**\n\nJerry\n\njunkimages\n\nThebigcheeze\n\nYoungViking\n\nRalgor\n\n**Disco Crisco Twister**\n\nBolwind\n\nSeagate\n\nIdol\n\nSpacebot Spiff\n\nKohaku\n\n**Domedy Option**\n\nWilkins\n\nEnigma\n\nSerge\n\nSlipknot\n\nUnderwhelmed\n\n**Duckies**\n\nNiike\n\nToxic\n\nOreo\n\nOnce\n\nAudio\n\n**El Chocolate Diablo**\n\n\n**AG | MEGA MASON**\n\nFrancesthemute\n\nmove\n\nDr. Horrible\n\n**Fiendish Four**\n\nMcNuggetFiend\n\nZookeeper\n\nKnife\n\nB.P. Lup\n\n**GamerNation**\n\navree\n\npatt\n\nmafiaguy\n\nguinness anyone?\n\nbroseph\n\n**J.P.L.**\n\nSlippery\n\njsonik\n\nr00b1x\n\n{pDs} Porgon\n\n**JewBagel and the Habowners**\n\nZate\n\nJewbagel\n\nHabo\n\nDDL\n\n**Lyon**\n\nJohnStamos(LYON)\n\nvulgar display of power(LYON)\n\nEric Cartman(LYON)\n\nBababooey(LYON)\n\n**Magma Powered Stepfather...**\n\nLazerFingers\n\nTigerBot\n\nmatticusrex\n\nHalbowitz\n\n**Melon Collies**\n\nToxoplasma\n\nDPyro\n\nFriske\n\nKhorma\n\nNeuraxis\n\n**Not The Panthers**\n\nhal_9000\n\nking_ivy \n\nazerea\n\nJamben \n\n**Paroxysm**\n\nRed Alert\n\n./dot\n\nmax!\n\n\\.=.aznbob\n\nZeron\n\n**Reap**\n\nNonis\n\nGloom\n\nHomie\n\nHuckleberry\n\nMental Vortex\n\n**ReDIGGulous**\n\nCityTransit\n\nRebault\n\nEmmaMercer\n\nHarry Haddock\n\n**rm -rf**\n\n[AFK] SirKillalot\n\n[AFK] amfr\n\n[AFK] Pyraloid\n\n[AFK] maz\n\nGreyFox123\n\n**Snow Bear University**\n\nCoolJets\n\nTyir\n\nMedbot\n\nTeech\n\nBDubs\n\n**Svalbard is not a real country...**\n\nRobb[reddit]\n\nWhopper!\n\nA.W.O.L\n\nPistachio[reddit]\n\n**Team Cat and Duck**\n\nBlotner\n\nAlex\n\nTheSooley\n\nWatertex\n\n**Team DM**\n\nDM\n\nShadowmonk3y\n\nUndakada\n\nMamaLuigi\n\n**Team KoolAid**\n\nKoolAid \n\nWomba \n\nKn3ll \n\nMarx\n\n**The Elite Four of the Indigo Plateau**\n\nI am sluggy\n\nrichardykimmyco\n\nChaos\n\nYuminator\n\n**The Four Musketeers**\n\nkaranlyons\n\nMaginot\n\ndesperatechaos\n\nJorsh\n\n**Truly Truly Truly Outrageous**\n\nderram\n\nMentality\n\nTycho\n\nPink Taco\n\nKarmaPolice\n\n**We're the Best!**\n\nGIJOE\n\nASmith\n\nbigbrothertrung\n\nreseph\n\nDvader17\n\n**Worst Forest Meats**\n\nQuamper\n\njones77\n\nAttackingHobo.j2\n\ninsipid\n\n**Zero**\n\nZe Baron\n\niconic\n\npres\n\nXepher\n\nThundershock-feeds on tears",
"score": 9
}
]
|
Where does everyone download their anime music from? | i usually get mine from http://gendou.com/ , but i'm been looking for the new FMA opening and ending for the last hour and cant find it. they only have the tv size.
Thanks for all the websites everyone! Much appreciated ^.^ | 19 | [
{
"body": "I get almost all of my anime music from Nipponsei ( https://nipponsei.minglong.org/ )\n\nThey have a torrent tracker and pretty fast IRC bots.",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "Here is EVERY soundtrack you could ever need or want. Pretty much...[tenshi.ru](http://tenshi.ru/anime-ost/)",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "[Tokyo Toshokan](http://www.tokyotosho.info/index.php) has a pretty good aggregation of most anime music site's torrents. If I can't find something there I just do some Google-fu to try to find what I'm looking for.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Things cashiers have said when commenting on your purchase | So today I went to the store at about 11am to buy some breakfast supplies. I was out of milk, and wanted to get some more (along with cereal) so I could have breakfast. The guy checking out my food comments on how its too cold today for cereal and milk. I wanted to say "well its not like i eat my meals outside, idiot" but I held my tongue and said "Its warm in my house" then he commented on how I'd run up my heating bill.
Anyone else got some good stories? | 6 | [
{
"body": "I worked on a checkout at Asda when I was at school. A woman once asked me \"Where are the toilet brushes?\", and I responded \"Not sure - I prefer to use paper, myself\".\r\n\r\nNearly got sacked for that one.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "I like to play a game I call \"Three\" at grocery stores and Target and the like. Basically, you have to buy 3 items and one of those items must be condoms. The winner is the person who gets the best reaction from the cashier. Last played I purchased condoms, a box set of Rome and 6lbs of pistachios (we were at Costco) and the cashier dubbed me his dreamgirl while the boxboy just stood there laughing.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I was picking up the Morning After pill at the pharmacy. While waiting for it to be filled, the pharmacist strikes up conversation, asking me what my job is. \"I work for the Democrats,\" I tell him. He seems to think this is pretty cool. Just as he hands over Plan B, he goes \"well, keep up the good work.\" ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "While at an airport bar I simultaneously purchased a beer and a bar of chocolate. The bartender was either really smug, or just spoke his thoughts out loud. \n\n\"I guess you don't care about your looks\".\n\nI faked a laugh and walked away, secretly depressed.\n\n",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Once I went to HEB to buy superglue for my mom. I was with my brother and a friend and the lady at the register asked what we were buying the glue for. I said it was for my mom and she gave us an \"Uh-huh, sure\" kind of attitude. I was thinking \"OK, WTF?\" and then after I walked out I realized she thought we were going to huff glue.\n\nAnd then we all got high\n\n(ending may or may not be accurate)",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "This wasn't said to me, but one of the cashiers I work with is this old Californian dude with a huge beard, and *every single time* a man comes through his line buying razors he picks it up and asks, \"What's this for?\" It's only funny because it takes most people a while to figure out he's making a joke based on his bearded state and by then they've already blinked, looking around in confusion, and said in uncertain tones, \"Um … shaving …\"",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "When I was in college bagging at a local supermarket I use to figure out interesting ways to mess with the customers.\n\nthe one that bothered people the most and got management talking to me was simple.\n\nI would do an expert job bagging their purchases, and then with a sincere smile and bright eyes say \"Jesus Loves You\" to the customer.\n\n\nIt freaked people out.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "When I first left Tennessee and moved out west I had this happen in a grocery store. My wife and I were paying for our groceries with a credit card and the cashier asked me for ID. When I showed her my driver's license she became suspicious and asked if I was really from Tennessee. Without missing a beat I kissed my wife firmly on the lips and said, \"yes and THIS is my sister!\"",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "A cashier where I work commented on my choice of cheap lube. She said something to the effect of, \"You're not getting KY, ew\"...but that's probably my fault for buying sex jelly where I work. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I always hate it when the cashier tells me, \"You saved $40 today!\" Depending on my mood, I'll often reply, \"No, I spent $60. I COULD have saved $60 by not buying it at all.\"\n\nI would really prefer they be more accurate and say, \"You spent $40 less than you would have spent if you had purchased these same item(s) at our regular prices.\" Just because I spend less doesn't mean that I'll go on to save that money. Maybe it's just semantics, but it does press one of my buttons for some reason.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "When buying condoms, the little old lady cashier told me to \"have a nice day,\" and turned beet red when I grinned and said \"I intend to\" while picking up my bag.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Would a weed scented air freshener, in plain view, be enough to eliminate any probable cause an officer has to search your vehicle based on the scent of marijuana? | The supreme court has ruled that the odor of marijuana is so distinct, that it warrants probable cause to search a vehicle for drugs. However, wouldn't hanging a weed scented air freshener eliminate any probably cause granted by the scent, insofar that it contradicts the defense of marijuana having a distinct odor. | 3 | [
{
"body": "They would still have probable cause to search, in the same way that chewing whiskey-scented gum would not get you out of a field sobriety test.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "No.\n\nObviously, even if there were such a thing, and it was in plain sight, it still does not mean that something else in the same car does not also smell like weed.\n\nPlus, if there was any suspicion that it was placed there for just such a reason, your case would not be helped. And in fact, such a suspicion would be very well-founded.\n\nJudges think about things like this.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
How do you handle your anger? | I would say that I am a soft-spoken person. However, I seem to get angry at my girlfriend a lot. When we get into an argument I tend to blow up easily. How do you handle your anger? | 5 | [
{
"body": "No one pushes your buttons quite like someone whose opinion you treasure, eh? I've had the same problem. I've learned equal parts breath holding and walking away from a potentially explosive situation. Try to avoid escalation too. If you're getting to a point you're worried about it, she needs to understand the phrase \"I need to cool down, we need to discuss this later.\"",
"score": 3
}
]
|
DAE freak out over the headlights on cars nowadays that don't go out until 30-45 seconds after the car's been locked? | I learned to drive, more or less (self-taught), in 1974.
I remember the days when (older) cars didn't have seat belts, and if you left the headlights on (any age car at that time) you were looking for a jump later in the day. Nowadays cars illuminate your way to your door. Trouble is, I never believe they're going to go out on their own and have to wait until I see them go out before I can relax.
anyone else got this benign ocd? | 44 | [
{
"body": "I sometimes see somebody leave a car with their lights on, and my first reaction is to say something to that person. But I don't, because I know that some lights just stay on for a little while, and I don't want to seem like a jackass. So instead, like a well-intentioned idiot, I stand there hypnotically staring at their headlights, waiting to see if they eventually turn off automatically, having a mini panic attack every second longer they stay on, because I'm reminding myself that all the while I'm waiting to see what happens, the car's driver is getting further and further away from me and the car. Then they turn off, relief and betrayal washes over me, and I try to remember where I was going before that person got out of their car.\n\nFuck those lights. ",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "I have an '06 Cobalt. Most of the time, I can't help but watch my car until the lights go out. I'm also 19 years old...so I didn't even learn to drive until this was standard in most cars.\r\n\r\nOh well.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "\"Freak out\" might be too strong, but I do have a habit of watching the car to make sure the lights go out.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "After pressing the lock button on the remote, I'll still give the door handle a check to make sure the doors are properly locked.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
I just want to play some goddamn Soccer | Anyone know where I can play some pick-up soccer? Online pages just give me leagues which is not what I'm looking for at the moment. | 5 | [
{
"body": "Pick up games are played a lot at Clark Field on UT's campus right off of Dean Keeton. I think particularly Wednesday nights.",
"score": 4
}
]
|
Who is your favorite supervillainess? | This has probably been asked for supervillains before, but what about those of the female variety?
Could be from comics, video games, movies, books, whatever.
Personally, I've always loved Harley Quinn. She was great in the animated series, and even better in Arkham Asylum. Just youtube any clips of her. She's hilarious. | 5 | [
{
"body": "My favorite supervillainess is Sarah Palin.\n\nRemember the episode where she almost got the codes to launch the nuclear missiles? Classic.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "I love it when Bond girls are villains. Makes the story much juicier when he sleeps with them, and then they're enemies. Sexual tension would make *all* fight scenes better.",
"score": 5
}
]
|
Ask r/tf2... is there a way to switch to an alternate weapon in the feild without dieing? | I've caught myself with my kritz instead of my uber a few times and I'd like to switch without forcing a class change or suiciding. | 8 | [
{
"body": "It depends on how far in the field you are. Going to a resupply cabinet will switch your loadout. You will lose your ubercharge when you switch between the medi-guns, don't forget this.",
"score": 30
},
{
"body": "You can change to an alternate weapon at any time, but you can't equip (and thus use) it until you hit a resupply cabinet. So, yes, you can access your alternate weapon without suiciding, but you'll have to run to the resupply to pick it up, so you should think about time choices, since sometimes it would take longer to run to spawn and back than it would to wait through the respawn timer and then run back up to the front lines.",
"score": 9
}
]
|
What causes the bad taste when a bar changes the barrel and doesn't pull-through enough pints? Is it harmful? | I've found that bars often fail to clear the lines properly after a barrel change. I can almost always detect that unpleasant sweet flavor and generally have to return the pint. Anyone know what causes the taste? Is it harmful? | 5 | [
{
"body": "Bacteria. It's not harmful, but it's definitely not pleasant. I always bring such beers back to the bar.\r\n\r\nHowever, the resulting taste should be sour. Not sweet. Not sure if you're detecting the sour vinegary taste and describing it as sweet or what's really going on.",
"score": 4
}
]
|
Good Linux distros for a 256 or 512 MB USB thumb drive? | I'd like to put a couple of my old 256 and 512 mb USB thumb drives to good use. Can anyone suggest good, small distros to install on them that can be run in a live (and persistent) fashion? Any ones in particular that excel in this situation? Some options I've found are Damn Small Linux, Puppy, or SliTaz. Something Debian or Arch-based might be fun to try. I'm curious to hear your experiences with these or other distros in this type of environment. Thanks! | 8 | [
{
"body": "I have My Mame box booting off a 512 with slax. Just recently tried SliTaz. Overall Slitaz gives me more of a system of the sort I'd like. The Module approach to Slax has it's merits for dropping in things (like a 15Khz Display mode setup module).\n\nSliTaz seems to be more active.\n\n\nBoth are nice in that when there are problems, they are in the realms of comprehendable, as opposed to some of the larger Distros where The interactions between various things that end in kit, begin with g or contain ulseaudi in the middle just leave you boggled.\n ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
[offer] I will write you a piece of flash fiction | I try to write, but I find I am not good with trying novel-length stuff. I'm no flossdaily (not that I'm aware of), but I think I do alright for myself. So here it is: give me a topic, setting, some set pieces, whatever, and I'll do my best to write you a story. | 4 | [
{
"body": "Subject: Failcake\n\nSetting: Dinosaur times\n\nSet pieces: Time traveling device, T-Rex, Led Zepellin concert T-shirt, Reddit flash drive\n\nGo.",
"score": 5
}
]
|
The town of Liberal, Missouri. Founded to be an Atheist Haven. | I was searching around trying to find the highest concentration of Atheists. It's an interesting history although misguided.
[Update] Link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal,_Missouri | 9 | [
{
"body": "Sounded great until I read it was from the 1800s. I love how the christian fuckers basically waged an all out war on the town. \n\nWhat would happen if roles were reversed?",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Hey Reddit, I'm low on money and about to head to the store, how about some advice? | To keep it short and simple I'm college guy with no food in my apartment right now. I'm also low on money but have enough to do a little shopping. Advice time. | 9 | [
{
"body": "eggs and bread. you could have scrambled eggs, poached eggs, egg sandwich, french toast, boiled eggs, omelette...",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "Peanut butter + bread. I could subsist off of peanut butter sandwiches for years on end.\n\nOther people will say Ramen and whatnot, but you can't put Ramen in a toaster, can you?!",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Lots of good suggestions here already.\n\nIn college, I ate a lot of potatoes and onions. You can bake them (with a little olive oil and garlic), you can boil them (and put salad dressing or salt/pepper on), you can fry them brown on all sides, you can broil them, you can shred them and mix with a few eggs for easy hash-browns.\n\nPotatoes are cheap and come in all sizes/types. They are very healthy and good for you too.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "* Depending on what grocery store you frequent, see if they offer club cards like Genuardi's, Giant, and Acme do.\n\n* Look in your refrigerator, pantry, bathroom, etc. Make a list of only essentials and make it a point to buy **only** what is on the list.\n\n* Don't shop hungry.\n\n* Coupons are your best friends. \n\n* Buy store brand items as apposed to brand names. Usually store brands will have specials running on their products; you're getting (almost) the same quality as you would with a brand name, but for much less.\n\n* Take a jar and designate it as your Food Jar where you put spare change or at least $1 a day (if this is feasible). Don't count any of the money and only take what you need. The more you bank, the more you'll have left over for other weeks. Make sure to hide the jar from roommates/guests and when you leave for the day.\n\n* Try not to fall into the \"buy 1, get 1\" and so and so forth trap; brand name items usually have these deals. It may seem like a good buy, but beware, since you're spending more money. The only exception to the rule is if the sign says, \"buy 1, get one free.\" I'm not saying don't utilize the sale, but when it comes to food items, if you have more than one item, it's more likely to spoil if you don't use it right away (except for canned goods). If you can preserve the item (for example: freezing an extra loaf of bread, waffles, etc.) take advantage of the deal.\n\n* Keep in mind how much space you have in your refrigerator/freezer and pantry. If you have to bulk buy, buy items that you know you'll use in a timely manner and don't have to worry about spoiling. Also think about how much use you'll get out of a certain item before you buy it in a large quantity; frozen foods like chicken are versatile (you can make almost anything out of chicken). Personal care items are iffy here; unless you love a particular brand of toothpaste, think twice before buying the six pack of it.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Am I the only person that thinks 3D is completely stupid? | -It's not actually 3 dimensional, it's layered 2 dimensional images. BIG difference.
-It forces the viewer to focus on only certain elements of the screen which seems like a waste of the rest of the screen.
-It has the potential to drive movie-going to even more of a "Splosion and K'Booooom!" mentality.
-I feel like the only person that realizes we already had 3D and it faded away rather quickly, though I'm afraid that like Herpes it's here to stay now.
Avatar Fans may now downvote the crap out of me. | 45 | [
{
"body": "I'm working on a major animated feature film at the moment - the studio's first in stereo (3D). I'm somewhat ambivalent about it, and I feel like much of the rest of the crew is too. It's the butt of many a joke, but at the same time, it's a great feeling when a shot looks extra beautiful in 3D, which they often do\n\nI'm coming down on the side of it being probably more hassle than it's worth, and that the fad will probably wane again, but it's hard to say for sure at this point - the industry is super-excited about it. Seeing Avatar in 3D reassured me that it could be done relatively tastefully and painlessly.\n\nI'd make a couple of arguments against what's being said. Firstly, 3D doesn't force you to look at any particular area of the screen any more than existing cinematography techniques do: shallow depth of field, lighting etc have been used for decades to direct audience eyes.\n\nActually a common complaint with 3D is that it ENCOURAGES you to look around the frame more, and that the depth-of-field (focus) blur is irritating because your eyes can't unfocus it. As a result it common on CG films to reduce the depth-of-field blur on the stereo version of the film.\n\nSecondly, most 3D films are not \"layered 2 dimensional images\". Each eye is rendered or shot from a unique position in 3D space - just like your eyes are doing, so there's a lot of subtlety. What can make it look \"cardboard cutouty\" is when they mess around with the distance between the two cameras - e.g. render the background with a wide occular distance. This is something stereo filmmakers need to be careful of.\n\nFinally, I wouldn't expect 3D stay restricted to splosiony films. That association for now is probably due to both requiring large budgets, and that 3D has generally been considered a \"special effect\". But, like surround sound or digital grading, it could also be used to great results in less violent, but still visually-expressive films. But like any tool, its hard to use well and easy to abuse.",
"score": 25
},
{
"body": "I think it's obvious that the 3D push is because you can't download a pirated version of a 3D movie. The movie industry is trying to reinvent itself. Personally, I think the movies look cool. Besides, they give you a \"2D\" option. Just go see that one if it bugs you that much.",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "YES, YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE WHO HAS EVER THOUGHT THAT 3D IS COMPLETELY STUPID.",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "I bloody hate 3D for the exact same reasons. I enjoy looking for the small details that designers or whomever put into the work. I gave myself a major headache during Avatar because I would constantly be scanning areas of the screen that I was not meant to look at directly. If movies like A Serious Man gets pushed out of the way for more 3D, I will retreat into old video games and novels. \n\nEDITED: For minor grammatical errors.",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "I love 3D and I think there are techniques that have not yet been fully explored... I am looking forward to the day you can just view a screen with no glasses from any angle and not get a head-ache. ",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "I we're talking about pre-Christmas Carol/Avatar 3D...you'd be right.\n\nBut Zemeckis and Cameron both used it in a way that truly enhances the movie-going experience rather than just being a gimmick that causes you to focus on certain elements. Also...I don't think anyone really thinks it's truly dimensional 3D.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "I'm not going to downvote you but I think you're completely wrong. I saw Avatar 3D today for the second time. During the film, I'd close one of my eyes every once in a while to see what the scene would look like in 2D. In 2D, the movie does nothing for me. In 3D, it's freaking amazing. This movie was the most impressive film I've ever seen and that's in spite of the simplistic story and characters.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "To be honest, I thought there were only a few scenes in Avatar that would have not been as good in 2D; the crew quarter on the ship when they were all waking up comes to mind. I wouldn't be particularly upset if more movies were in 3D just for the sake of a slightly more real-feeling view, but I wouldn't want to pay extra.\n \n3D is amazing in games though, especially if it is planned for in the development.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Coraline in 3D was excellent. The Final Destination was not and is a good example of what you were talking about. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I can't stand it in its current form. In avatar, I was constantly trying to focus on things that were out of focus... In real life, those things come in to focus. In a 3D movie, they remain out of focus. Also, the iMax screen that I saw it on was so large that I had to move my head around every so often. Whenever I did this, the tilt of my head would shift slightly, causing the polarization 'magic' to break and ruin the illusion. I got totally sick after the first hour and had to leave.\n\nId be interested in seeing some sort of 3D display without glasses, though.\n\nAlso, maybe I'm wrong about this, but a typical film is played at 24 FPS. Are there two separate 25 FPS pictures playing at the same time, or is there one 24 FPS, effectively giving you 12 FPS in your left eye and 12 FPS in your right? Some of the motion seemed quite choppy.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I'm just waiting for the day all of my friends will be huddled around a TV with dorky looking glasses on and *I* get to call them four-eyes.\n\n/bitter",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "3D hurts my head. I loved avatar but i felt the 3D took away from the movie and made my very aware I was watching a movie. This is not the 80's we dont need gimmicky VR and 3D glasses to make things good. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
I have never bought a laptop before. Recommendations? | My budget is around $800. I'm looking for a 13"-14" screen, and something that won't drag ass in basic office programs and everyday use. I also use Sibelius and like having lots of tabs open. Should I fork over the extra cash to get a Macbook? Or is there a comparative PC I could save a little money on? | 5 | [
{
"body": "If your budget is around $800, then you should not be getting a Mac product. Of course, it's top of the line stuff and some of the best customer service you'll ever have. But the fact of the matter is most PCs you can get with a fraction of the cost for the same hardware & even more! I currently have a MacBook Pro (13\" upgraded + unibody model) & I've never had a better laptop in my life (about $1500 in Canada, with the student discount.) However, I could get a similar PC for almost as low as $600.\n\nI Highly recommend you read this article about failure rates of notebooks to make an educated decision: \nhttp://www.electronista.com/articles/09/11/17/reliability.study.has.apple.4th.place/\n\nHere is the model I recommend based on your needs:\nhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220637",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What is with Australian publishing companies' stranglehold on the book market? | I recently read a borrowed copy of The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. I'm glad I borrowed it from a friend instead of purchasing my own copy, as I was increasingly annoyed whilst reading it to come across several typos and misprints (6 or 7 found on the first reading, I'm sure I'd come across more if I re-read it).
It's appalling that Australian publishers have the entire market and still don't have processes in place to make sure that the finished product is typo-free.
What the hell? Get your shit together, Allen & Unwin. I'm not paying $32.95 for a book which is riddled with mistakes.
End of rant.
Why are they so powerful? Why can't the government do something to let overseas publishers into the market? Book prices would come down substantially, everyone would be able to afford to buy new books more often, kids would read more, everybody wins. What do you think? | 26 | [
{
"body": "[Book Depository](http://www.bookdepository.co.uk)\n\nI buy medical textbooks from there but they have such a range.\n\nNot a shill :)",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "Did KRudd end up introducing parallel imports for the publishing industry yet?\n\nThat would be one way to stick it to the publishers. \n\nPersonally I haven't purchased a book in a store for years. I buy all mine from Amazon or from audible (as audiobooks). A lot of the time you're better off just buying it online from overseas. Especially when it comes to computer books. \n",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I like checking out (though I admit I'm yet to purchase from..) [Better World Book](http://www.betterworldbooks.com/). My housemate has gotten a few well-timed, well-priced deliveries from them and they donate money to world literacy programs!\n\nBut the most advantageous thing to you, I think, will be the fact they're American. Most of their books are going to be the American prints. So shitty cover-art aside (why do American versions of books always have shitty cover art?), they may be a better copy.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "fishpond.com.au\r\n\r\nyou can choose between the US and UK editions and you get free delivery with orders over $50.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "They brought in laws year and years ago to protect our publishing industry from the big bad men overseas and now that every man and his dog can order books from overseas for alot cheaper than buying them here they keep on trying to lift the restrictions on book imports - but enough people with some political clout keep on whinging about how it will destroy them that it never gets lifted ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What's the best way for me to apologize in this situation? | Basically, we've been long-distance. I asked her if she had feelings for one of her male friends who she's always around, and she told me no. A month later, she invited me to a forum community so that she'd get a referral bonus. I read some of her posts calling him her fiance, saying how amazing their first meeting/date was, something implying that they've had sex, etc.
I asked her about this, and she got really upset. She accused me of not trusting her. I actually do trust her, and I believe that she was just joking around with those posts. I mean, she did know that I'd be able to see them.
She doesn't want to talk to me, so how do I go about fixing this? I love her and trust her completely. I've known her for seven or eight years, and she's always been good to me.
**Edit:** I need to clarify. I asked her a month ago when I noticed that she was always around this other guy. Last week, I saw those posts and asked again. She didn't get angry at me those two times, though she didn't believe that I trusted her. I was going to ask her why she would post things like that, but I think she mistook that as me asking her again a third time. This is when she got really upset, and it's where we're at now.
I think she's offended that I would even question her loyalty. She's been really stressed about other things lately, and this really isn't helping it. That's why I feel that this entire thing is my fault.
Yes, these are probably my insecurities and self-esteem issues. I'm hoping that I didn't push her away. | 3 | [
{
"body": "*Because it's so normal for people to announce they are engaged and having sex with someone they aren't.* \n\nWhy are you apologizing or considering it? Granted I don't know what the posts are or the context, but what I can say is that her avoiding you says that odds are you are just a fling on the side and you overstepped your bounds. ",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "Man. I need to have actually seen these posts and such. I mean, kidding about calling him her fiance, going on a date, and having sex with him? That's, uh... that's not funny. I can't really see how it could be.\n\nStill, here's my knee-jerk reaction:\n\nDon't take her shit for trying to deflect the blame onto you. Yeah, you got into the forum community. Yeah, you searched her posts. I look at people's facebook walls and myspace comments. Different? No.\n\nThis shit isn't your fault. You are not the bad guy. You didn't fuck someone else. She tries to pin this on you?\n\nFuck.\n\nThat.\n\nShit.\n\nShe knows *EXACTLY* what this looks like. If she didn't have anything to hide, then she wouldn't up in arms about it. You *shouldn't* trust her completely, because this is some seriously fucked up information.\n\nMaybe she **hasn't** always been good to you. Maybe she was great to you for six years, then fucked some dude behind your back and *lied to you about it.*\n\nYou deserve better than \"OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT. HOW COULD YOU NOT TRUST ME.\"\n\nHere's what you need to ask:\n\n\"Shut the fuck up and tell me what *hell* this is about. Answer me yes or no, and don't you dare lie to me because I know you *too goddamn well for that.* Did you cheat on me? Because it sure as hell looks like you did.\"\n\nThe situation will unfold from there. It may not be pretty, but you better see this to the end, one way or another.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Get away from her. Now.\n\nDo not apologize, you have nothing to apologize for. It's not worth the loss of your self-respect to pretend like you did anything wrong. [You didn't](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting). People caught in lies always try and deflect blame (\"Oh, you caught me fucking other men.... I CAN'T TRUST YOU NOW!! YOU SNOOPED!!\").\n\nShe's toxic, get her out of your life and you'll be better off.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "People never blow up from questioning when they are innocent, unless you press them repeatedly. If you just asked her a bit about it and she blew up on you immediately, she's guilty as charged and is trying to distract you from that by calling you paranoid.\n\nSorry man.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": ">She accused me of not trusting her. \n\nSmoke screen. If you hadn't have backed off then, tears would have followed.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Dude beware! I may not be very popular by telling you this, but I slept with a girl who was in a relationship after she started calling me her husband, saying our wedding night was 'hot' and that we should have sex again (of course we hadn't done anything yet but it was her way of being subtle I guess)\n\nDon't apologize... she wrote the shit not you. Her initial reaction to deflect blame and get angry at you is very worrying.",
"score": 4
}
]
|
IAMA Air Force aircraft maintainer. | I'm an aircraft electrician on AFSOC C-130s. Some days I love it and want to keep doing it, some days I hate it, but I've got a long ways to go before any of that even matters... AMA. | 9 | [
{
"body": "Why do they make aircraft in need of so much maintenance? Do you think it is just to garnish the aerospace industry and/or allow them to undertake larger (multi billion dollar) projects?\n\nIn short, do you think it is economic or technological reasons.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "As an ex Air Force fighter pilot I would like to thank you for making it so our planes don't blow up in mid air. Carry on.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I once knew an Air Force mechanic (worked at Travis) and he said he hated flying on commercial airlines because the civilian/commercial airline mechanics were a bunch of [paraphrasing] \"lazy union idiots who couldn't fix a toaster\".\n\nDo you agree with this statement?",
"score": 4
}
]
|
So whats your opinion on the Golden Globe
winners? | As far as winners I didn't agree with:
* I thought The Hurt Locker deserved best picture
* 500 Days of Summer deserved best comedy
* Joseph Gordon Levitt derserved best actor in a comedy
* Anna Kendrick deserved best supporting actress in a motion picture
* Tarantino deserved best director
* Dexter deserved best show
Thats about it. Most excited about Christoph Waltz getting best supporting actor. Honestly I think he played one of the better roles of the decade. | 11 | [
{
"body": "Tarantino got shafted. Avatar, are you fucking kidding me?\n\nEdit: I'm well aware that this comment will most likely get downvoted to oblivion because of reddits ill-conceived love for Avatar. I fucking dare anyone to tell me how the hell Avatar is even remotely in the same ballpark as any of the other nominees. Not just Inglorious Basterds (which is my obvious choice), but all of them.",
"score": 18
},
{
"body": "The fact that Sandra Bullock won best actress for The Blind Side is a great example of why I don't give a shit what awards shows say.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "Avatar shouldn't have won best picture, but James Cameron definitely deserved best director. Consider this: James Cameron wrote and directed Avatar, and the consensus has generally been that the flaws were in the writing, and that what makes Avatar great was the world of Pandora, the director's realization. He is responsible for both it's highs and lows, but it's highs were thanks to the great job he did directing it.\n\nIMO, Hurt Locker deserved best picture, and congrats to Christoph Waltz for best supporting actor. It was really a no-brainer.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "wondering why \"where the wild things are\" hasn't received any recognition this award season...otherwise, there were far better movies this past year than \"avatar\" beginning with the coen brothers' \"a serious man\". whether you can blow a billion dollars on a three hour cartoon is hardly criteria for best picture. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I despise every single aspect of the Hollywood bullshit. They all get paid far, *far* too much money and get treated as demigods. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
A friend IM'd me today after seeing my 9/11 truth related tweet | ** I thought this would be interesting to share. This friend IM'd me today in response to this tweet: http://twitter.com/supernate/status/7879628717 Sadly, i think this is the attitude that a lot of people have regarding truth.
EDIT: formatting
Justin: you are a 9/11 conspiracy theorist dude
Me: i am an advocate of the truth
Justin: haha
Me: the more you try to find out about it, the more inconsistencies there are
Me: really, it is shocking
Justin: yeah, i mean i agree with you
Me: and I am surprised that more people don't realize this
Me: and I realize that its because most people have never bothered to look at the facts and events of the situation
Me: they just digest what the mainstream media tells them
Justin: yeah, i mean you can't change the past so i don't see why energy spent worrying about it is worthwile
Me: are you kidding me???
Me: it was 9/11 that justified this war we've been in for 9 years
Me: and justified the Patriot Act
Me: and this ridiculous airport security shit
Me: and the wiretapping, torture, spying, etc
Justin: yeah, i see what you're saying
Me: basically everything Bush did was justified by anti-terrorism
Me: what if the terrorist threat is really fake?
Justin: but if the fed is not going to come clean on it, or acknowledge it then will things ever really change from this information?
Justin: or just continue to piss you off?
Me: we should not be having this conversation on google
Justin: okay
Me: it's sad that I have to worry about somebody monitoring our IMs
Me: but it's perfectly legal, according to the patriot act
Me: which would have never passed, if it hadn't been for 9/11
Me: full circle | 5 | [
{
"body": "This comes up again & again, \"what's the point of 9/11 truth?\"\n\nThe point is it changes how people view the world. The gov is not going to come clean, there will be no justice. But if enough people can get a grip on how things really are (ie understand the events of 9/11) it will change how they react different situations throughout their lives. \n\nCracking open the mass media brainwashing is significant all on its own.",
"score": 7
}
]
|
My wife has some very large mood swings. I have no idea what to do or how to help her. Can someone read this and see if they have had similar experiences? | Hey guys,
My wife is 25 and has always had some huge mood swings, I have always known her to be a bit crazy but it has been getting worse. When we first met, maybe 2 times a month she would have these extremely depressive moments where she hated the world and the world hated her. I could usually talk her up from these and she would feel better. When shes not having these mood swings she is so great to be around. We got married about a 2 months ago and before that she was having them more, like every week, I thought it was the stress of getting married but now she has them like 2 times a week and they are huge. She even punched me in the face she was so upset. I never seen anyone be like this before, she always talks about how great her life was single and how much I have ruined her life. She actually lived a really hard life before she met me and I can honestly say Im really good to her 97% of the time. These past 2 weeks have been so hard, shes been extremely upset and its over little things. We went to the zoo and I picked a restaurant she didnt like and she exploded, we had to go home because she was screaming at me. As I said before, I told her that we can't do something because we don't have the money for it right now (build a house) and she said I ruined her life and she walked up and punched me in the face, it was really like wtf. Little things make her just blow up but a big thing, she didnt get a job she applied for made her go really crazy. She started buying a plane ticket home which cost 1,000$. We have no kids and really have not built a life togther yet and I just want to forget her. I never had someone tell me all these things before but I want to help her. The reason I think something is wrong which is not me is that when she changes, she will cry and hug me and tell me shes sorry. Then she is that great person I married. The only thing she takes is birth control (Mercilon 28 by Organon) but I read up and doesn't say much about it, just that it is low dosage. Really hope one of you can related.
Thank you for reading. | 5 | [
{
"body": "wow. [welcome to my world](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorder).\n\n*Individuals with BPD can be very sensitive to the way others treat them, reacting strongly to perceived criticism or hurtfulness. Their feelings about others often shift from positive to negative, generally after a disappointment or perceived threat of losing someone. Self-image can also change rapidly from extremely positive to extremely negative. Impulsive behaviors are common, including alcohol or drug abuse, unsafe sex, gambling and recklessness in general. Attachment studies suggest individuals with BPD, while being high in intimacy- or novelty-seeking, can be hyper-alert to signs of rejection or not being valued and tend toward insecure, avoidant or ambivalent, or fearfully preoccupied patterns in relationships. They tend to view the world generally as dangerous and malevolent, and themselves as powerless, vulnerable, unacceptable and unsure in self-identity.*\n\nrun. get your shit together, run for your fucking life. At this point in my marriage, if we didn't have children I'd call it quits. If I could do it over, I'd take my own advice and never get involved.\n\n*edit* btw: the wife and I are currently apart, and I'm freaking loving it. It's so damn nice not to walk on eggshells to avoid her nasty mood swings. Unless things change for the better while we're apart, I'm not going to encourage any type of reconciliation. Dude, run. ",
"score": 4
}
]
|
Today is Martin Luther King day. Please take a moment to think over this wise man's words. | As an Atheist, and cynical individual (unrelated traits), I regard MLK Day as the only holiday that I truly celebrate and observe. It's not much, but I like to take a few moments each year to watch his [I Have a Dream Speech](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEMXaTktUfA). And it's a bit long, but it's good to read at least a few paragraphs from his [Letter from a Birmingham Jail](http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html).
There are several things I admire about this man. First is his resolve to seek change through non-violence and passive means. There's a very gentle form of power expressed there, that American culture isn't always attuned to; the idea of a quiet, humble person, doing superhuman things. -Second, and not least, is the man's effectiveness. There were numerous tangible successes to the civil rights movement under King's leadership. Simply for practical purposes, we'd do well to apply his tactics to modern issues such as war, corporate corruption, and gay marriage.
-And one last thing I want to mention here, while I have the platform- is something I've never heard anyone mention that I noticed. In the "I Have a Dream" speech, watch as he finishes. He get's to the final exclamation "...free at last!" and the man doesn't wait for applause, or pause for affect. Rewind it and watch that part again. Before the final words are even out of his mouth, he's turning away. He's walking away from the podium before he's even done with the speech. I've never seen this anywhere else. It's like he's channeled something beyond human there, and he has a divine confidence in what he's saying. Like, just to utter it is about all he can take, and once it's out he knows his work is done.
Man. Hate to deify a man like that, but I've done worse.
TLDR: [watch this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEMXaTktUfA) and [read this](http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html). | 7 | [
{
"body": "sometimes i feel like we all channel a little divine knowledge as if from somewhere else.... most can not then communicate that knowledge such as dr. king but that is to be expected..... he was an amazing speaker. and i've never really took too much noticed to the closing of 'i have a dream' but thanks to you, i will observe it more closely next time i watch it.... maybe tomorrow.... not the 18th here",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "As a Christian, and a cynical individual (unrelated traits), I definitely upvote this and celebrate this man's life and all he stood for. A true giant among us. I downloaded his speech and it makes me tear up every time.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Help! I just bought the game and it's unplayable due to lag. | It's game specific, I can play counterstrike source and HL2 deathmatch without problems.
The lagging starts in menu before I even connect to a server.
Edit: I don't think it's the hardware as I haven't had problems with other source engine games. Anyway, specs are as follows
4 gigs ddr2 ram
quad core processor 2.4GHz
geforce 8800 gt
Vista home premium | 10 | [
{
"body": "Try deactivating your antivirus program, or excluding your Steam folder from it. There was a thread about this on the Steam forums not too long ago.\n\nAlso, I want to point out that \"lag\" has nothing to do with your game performance. \"Lag\" is what you get by, for example, having a high ping. It refers to your internet connection.\n\nTo avoid confusion, better refer to your problem as \"bad performance\" or \"low fps\".",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "This fixed my problems:\n\nhttp://www.teamfortress2fort.com/forums/t/QuantumsLittleConfigHighFPS/QualityConfig-22287.aspx",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What board do you ride? | Just curious what redditors are riding. I have a Sector 9 Carbonite.
Edit: I have 10" Gullwing Charger Trucks, 74mm Nineball Wheels 78A. | 11 | [
{
"body": "Loaded Dervish - Paris 180s, OTang In Heats, Bone Reds. \nBustin Cigar - Gullwing Mission 150s, Eversummers 65mm, crappy bearings. ",
"score": 3
}
]
|
I get my lab tests back tomorrow... | Breast cancer is very prevalent in my family (my mother and aunt have both died from it, and another aunt is in remission) so I participated in a study to find out if I have the same "cancer gene," the BRCA2 gene. Even though I am a male and my chances of contracting breast cancer go from very very low to just very low, I am concerned about passing this gene on to children. Tomorrow I am scheduled to speak with the genetic counselor to find out if I have the gene or not. Keep me in your thoughts, reddit! | 5 | [
{
"body": "I think it is an amazing thing that you care enough about the future generations to check into this. Also, there have been men develop breast cancer, and for them it is the double whammy of discovering that they have cancer, and then the stigma to have cancer of what is considered to be women's body parts.\n\nHopefully you can make a difference in your family, and I am sorry to hear that you lost both your mother and an aunt to it.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "There is a section in Malcolm Gladwell's \"What The Dog Saw\" about mammograms, biopsies, and breast cancer rates. While it isn't exactly what you're dealing with, it's very interesting to see how the diagnostics and screenings don't really correlate with life expectancy and prognoses. \n\nIn a nutshell, (and I'm sure your MD has said this), having the gene doesn't mean you're particularly at risk for the cancer and not having the gene doesn't mean you're particularly safe from it either. This goes for your daughters too... \n\nIt's fabulous that you are getting tested, just don't put too much weight on the outcome.",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Hey Reddit, what would movies be called if they were all about masturbation? | I think "The Happening" would be retitled "The Fappening".
EDIT: As of right now, 69% like this thread... har har har
EDIT 2: My ex-gf is in the room and insists I suggest "Southern Promises"
EDIT 3: The approval rating is still hovering at 69%... har har har | 89 | [
{
"body": "A Cockwork Orange\n\nSaving Ryan's Privates\n\nThe Penist\n\nRequiem for a Wet Dream\n\nFull Monty's Python and the Holy Grail\n\nThe Porn Identity\n\nSextoy Story\n\n8 1/2 inches\n\nCock, sock, and one strokin' barrel\n\nDie Hardon\n\nCumdog Millionaire\n\nThe Lord of the Cockrings\n\n12 Happy Men",
"score": 90
},
{
"body": "Some movies need name changes:\r\n\r\n* Strokeback Mountain\r\n* The Lovely Boners\r\n* City of OHMYGOD\r\n\r\nand some don't:\r\n\r\n* A Single Man\r\n* Blindness\r\n* The Jerk\r\n* GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (it *that* what you call it?)",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "* Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Wanking and Love the Palm. \n\n* 2001: A Spank Odyssey\n\n* Poundhog Day\n\n* WANK-E\n\n* Fapocalypse Now\n\n* Fappy Gilmore\n\n* Fapatouille\n\n* Thank You for Stroking\n\n* Young Spankenstein\n\n* Masturbator and Cummander\n\n* Wet Hot American Cummer\n\n* Glory Load\n\n* Stroking and Screaming\n\nedit: spelling\n\n\n\n",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Tom Clancy's Jackit Ryan Series: The Hunt for Red Cocktober, The Cum of All Fears, Clear and Present Wanker ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "For some disturbing reason the first thing that came to mind was \"Space Jam\"\n\nI don't even want to know where I was going with that.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "* Casablanca\n\n* Forest Hump\n\n* The wangover\n\n* V for Vasturbation\n\n* The emperors new groove\n\n Edit: getting some post together. Man the is a lot of movies that ALREADY sound like they are about wanking.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Little Fist Cum-shine\n\n(almost didnt post this... i really like the original and it kinda wrongs my brain to write this...)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "[Laurence of A Labia](http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6656/1132/1600/lawrenceofalabiakn9.jpg) (NSFW)",
"score": 3
}
]
|
What is a good value wine to buy at Liquorland? | Well, I've finally moved to Australia and I've been trying out different wines at Liquorland. I don't have much cash to spare so I've been trying to pick bottles around $10. Most of what I choose has been pretty terrible. Are there any wines that are commonly known to be a good value at Liquorland? Should I be increasing my budget a bit more to find something of quality? | 4 | [
{
"body": "Some I would [recommend](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4GvN4wGUZI#t=37s):\r\n\r\n* Black Stump Bordeaux\r\n* Sydney Syrup\r\n* Château Blue\r\n* Old Smokey\r\n* Coq du Rod Laver\r\n* Perth Pink\r\n* Melbourne Old-and-Yellow\r\n* Château Chunder\r\n* Hobart Muddy\r\n* Cuivre Reserve Château Bottled Nuit San Wogga Wogga",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "What type of wines were you drinking in San Francisco?\n\nAustralian wines are quite different to the American wines, What have you tried?",
"score": 3
}
]
|
TIL: that a potent mixture of cocaine and gunpowder called “brown-brown” is given to child soldiers before battle to make them feel brave and invulnerable. | Apparently, the gunpowder does little more than make the coke burn your nose more, and the “extra potency” that users brag of may be little more than a placebo effect.
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub850.pdf
http://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=2712&wit_id=6387
http://www.un.org/av/radio/unandafrica/transcript141.htm
Original blog post I got the links from
http://holywarfare.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/child-soldiers-brown-brown-and-intensity-in-combat/ | 55 | [
{
"body": "My dad told me once about a guard dog they had at a shop that he worked at. He said that they fed it gunpowder with it's food to 'make it mean'. Blew my mind.\n\nApparently they had to get rid of it because it would fuck the hoses laying around the shop non stop.\n",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I would assume that the gunpowder irritates the mucus membranes so as to absorb the cocaine more quickly.",
"score": 5
}
]
|
So /r/hombrewing, what are your thoughts on First Wort Hopping? | Been a homebrewer for over a year, and I'm a BJCP judge, but I find this whole first wort hopping idea, blown out of proportion.
Some people claim that it's like a 20 minute hop addition, which is absurd.
The German study (if you do a google scholar search this is what you get on first wort hopping), only says people prefer the FWH beer.
Also, the study Denny (most internet home brew people know him) did for the homebrew conference pretty much concluded it just made the beer have a smooth bitterness, but it's slightly more bitter than a 60 minute addition.
tl;dr: FWH is about the same as a 60 minute addition.
Your thoughts? | 7 | [
{
"body": "So, I too heard \"treat it like a 20 min addition\", which I think can't be right, since it still boils for 60 minutes. The folks in the \"20 min\" camp claim that due to the soak time in the high gravity wort, aromatics are \"locked in\", and something happens that prevents full isomerization of the alpha-acids, (thus giving less bitterness). \n\nI, too, thought like you. But then I made a few beers with FWH, and had beersmith calculate the additions like a 60 min + 10%, (which is the default in Beersmith). My beers that I made this way, however, definitely lacked the bitterness they should have had. It wasn't just smoother, it wasn't *there*.\n\nSo now I am a convert. I have Beersmith downscale FWH additions by 40% from 60 minutes, (so, take IBUs for a 60 min add of your FWH and subtract 40%). I use 40% because that is about the difference in IBUs between a 60 and 20 minute addition.\n\nI find that by treating it like a 20 minute addition, I get much more consistent results. Although I lack an actual machine to test IBUs, the bitterness I taste matches up with other, (known, commercial), beers in the same range. Now, I'll add some hops as FWH, and then more at 60 min....and I treat FWH as 20 minute ones.\n\nCrazy? Kinda. Lacking in any scientific reasoning? Yup...but it tastes right to me.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I know some excellent brewers swear by it, but it makes no sense. It sounds a little too much like voodoo to me.\n\nThe mind can play some amazing tricks, so without a rigorous double blind experiment, I'd bet it was indistinguishable from a 60 min bittering hopping.\n\n",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": ">Denny (most internet home brew people know him)\n\nHe's popular on Northern Brewer's forums as well as a few other places.\n\nEDIT: Denny Conn ... his recipes kick ass, and his tutorials are pretty much required reading for any new homebrewer (posted here for posterity):\n\nhttp://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/\n\nhttp://beerdujour.com/DennyConnRecipes.html\n\nhttp://www.brew365.com/beer_dennys_bourbon_vanilla_porter.php\n",
"score": 3
}
]
|
Hey reddit, I'm looking for a specific movie | So this movie is either 80s or 90s. It's animated. It takes place in a futuristic environment where the humanoid animals (mice?) sing to lock away the evil that is getting out. any ideas?
Completly forgot what this movie is, and google is no help :(
Edit: Some more info.
The main character is on a journey and the guy trying to release the evil knows the main character can lock away the evil with his voice. At the end the main character finds out he actually needs help and sings in harmony with another girl. | 6 | [
{
"body": "Definately \"Rock and Rule\". Features voices of Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWruudEQBW8\r\n",
"score": 8
}
]
|
"The O'Reilly Factor," January 14, 2010 - Exposing the lies, one by one | Full disclosure: I don't watch the O'Reilly Factor, since they don't show it in Denmark. Even if they did show it, I wouldn't watch it anyway. But I felt that a recent transcript from Fox needed some comments along the way. The transcript can be seen here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583149,00.html
>O'REILLY: Excuse me for a moment. I'm doing a calculation on my salary, and if I get fired on "The Factor", if I go to Denmark they're going to pay 90 percent of it for four years.
>MARGARET HOOVER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: You are fired.
>(LAUGHTER)
The lie: You have to buy a private wage-insurance to get *up to* 90% of you wages back, capped at $124 a day - and that's before taxes. Forbes put Bills wages at $9 million in 2006, which means that even if he took out that insurance, he would get a whooping 0.35% of his wages back. The four year period is accurate.
>O'REILLY: Here now, the "Culture Warriors," Fox News analyst Margaret Hoover and "Fox & Friends" co-anchor Gretchen Carlson.
>OK, so Oprah looked positively giddy to be in Denmark. Now, she was there, it's 14 below zero now in January. She was there in the fall. And I'm going to myself, does she really understand the country? What say you?
The lie: It's not 14 fahrenheit below zero, and we have not had *average* temperatures like that since the last ice-age. The average day-temperature hovers around 25-30 degrees fahrenheit, a few degrees colder at night.
>GRETCHEN CARLSON, "FOX & FRIENDS" CO-HOST: I would say, who wouldn't be giddy when you find out that you get free health care, free education, four years of payment at 90 percent even after you lose your job, until you read the fine print, which is at the bottom of the document, which says oh, by the way, Danes pay the highest income tax of anyone in the entire world.
>O'REILLY: Do you know what the average is? It's about 75 percent if you're making good money, right?
>CARLSON: It's definitely over 50 percent.
The lie: At most you can pay 59% in income tax, for any incomes above $75,000 a year. But that's before a huge amount of deductions. Combined with the fact that we have one of the lowest income disparities in the world, very few people pays that amount - and you'd have to earn a ridiculous amount of money every year to come close to averaging it.
>O'REILLY: OK. So you pay all your money to the government, and they give it — they kick it back to you, Hoover, in the term of entitlements. But that does provide security for the 5.5 million Danes.
>HOOVER: Well, and that's exactly the point. You make a fabulous point. There are 5.5 million Danes.
>O'REILLY: Right.
>HOOVER: And that's it. We have 300 million people here, Bill.
>O'REILLY: Right.
>HOOVER: We're bankrupt on our Medicare program as it is. Do you think we could afford to pay 90 percent of people's salaries afterwards?
>O'REILLY: No, I don't. But the Danes have managed their economy so that they can provide for 5.5 million people.
The lie: First of all, there's no evidence that a system like the Danish is incapable of scaling. Denmark has the population of your average US state, so if we're just looking at sizes, it should be easy to implement. In fact, there would be several opportunities for making the system better the larger it is. For one thing, it'll be cheaper to buy large quantities of medicine. Secondly, as was mentioned earlier, to get the 90% income coverage you have to buy a private insurance policy.
> //snipped some talk about Oprah
>HOOVER: If you think Aristotle had anything good to say about happiness, you know…
>O'REILLY: Aristotle? Is he Danish? I thought he was Greek?
>HOOVER: No, but listen to me, because he had a few good nuggets that have lasted for a few thousand years.
>O'REILLY: Yeah.
>HOOVER: He says happiness comes from satisfaction of four things: vocation, family, community and faith. And the more the government…
>O'REILLY: Aristotle said that?
>HOOVER: Yeah, he did. I'm distilling it down for you so you don't have to read the "Republic."
>O'REILLY: Excellent.
>(LAUGHTER)
>HOOVER: Here's the deal. If the government starts to take over in any four of those areas, humans derive then less satisfaction.
>O'REILLY: Yeah, but the Danes are happy.
>HOOVER: Yeah, but that's…
>O'REILLY: They're happy Danes.
>HOOVER: They're taking over…
>CARLSON: How is that subjective, Bill.
>HOOVER: They take over family.
>O'REILLY: Did you see them riding the bikes? They're all smiling.
>CARLSON: Happiness is subjective. This is what the Danes know.
>O'REILLY: Right.
The lie: First they claim that if the government starts covering any of these four areas, vocation, family, community and faith - that you become less happy. That's pure weapons grade bovine fecalia. The Danish government isn't replacing your family or your vocation - at most it offers assistance and tools to better maintain these areas. The Danish government ensures jobs for as many as possible, that families can spend time with each other, build communal areas for the community and maintain all historical churches.
Secondly they're comparing Danish citizens to brainwashed sheeps that doesn't know true happiness, and thus are happy with what we got. Poppycock. We're some of the most well educated and well traveled citizens in the world. We know what's out there, and based on that knowledge *still prefer* the system we have. It's an informed decision.
> //snipped some more talk about Oprah
>HOOVER: Go to YouTube, watch the end of the clip. She looks at these people's apartments. She's wondering where they put their things. They're telling her they don't have things.
>O'REILLY: They don't have things.
>HOOVER: They've got three kids in one bedroom. And she's wondering how do people live like this?
>O'REILLY: Yeah. So once she got inside…
>HOOVER: I don't think she got into it.
>O'REILLY: ...the house, she wasn't so thrilled, Oprah.
>HOOVER: I don't think she got into it. I don't think so.
>O'REILLY: No.
The lie: This isn't your average home. And of course people have things. I couldn't imagine a 13 year old here who doesn't have his own bedroom, playstation 3 and Xbox 360, cellphone and DVD collection. Some families may choose to live downtown Copenhagen, where living spaces are smaller and more expensive (like downtown New York), but it's a personal choice. The same money could buy you a big house in the suburbs.
> //snipped the few last lines about Oprah
So, looking through their program, they were incapable of getting anything right about Denmark, except perhaps population size.
Edit: Added fahrenheit to the temperatures | 999 | [
{
"body": "Those dumb asses on the Factor don't even know the difference between Plato and Aristotle. Plato wrote the Republic, not Aristotle...and if she is going to quote the Republic in defense of her tea bagger version of democracy, then she should also point out that Plato's version of democracy is one where highly educated intellectual \"philosopher kings\" are the leaders instead of incompetent, folksy, stupid, creationist \"she's just like me\" Joe the Plumber-esque politicians like Sarah Palin. ",
"score": 563
},
{
"body": "Thank you for taking the time to educate us. Most of us know not to believe anything he says, but it's nice to get such a detailed review of his BS. \n\nWould you please let us know how one becomes a citizen of Denmark? :)",
"score": 118
},
{
"body": "remember when the right wing flipped out over dan rather cause he didnt properly back ground check some memos he got from a formerly reliable source?\n\nThey treat fox like a retard child that just doesnt know better.\n\nit's ok when they list corrupt goprs as dems.\n\nit's ok when they multiple obams bank tax by ten times.\n\nit's ok when they reduce the tarp payback by ten times.\n\nit's ok when they lie about malmedy.\n\nit;'s ok when they are wrong about obamas madress.\n\nit's ok when they are wrong on denmark.\n\nit's ok they claim we had no attacks under bush when we had several.\n\n\nit's ok when fox uses photoshop on dems faces makign their eyes sunken in looking sinister.\n\noops the retarded kid made another boo boo.\n\nwas that the wrong footage again of the wrong protest?\n\nlets not forget when they clipped biden quoting mccain on the economy being strong.. while clipping the part where he says he is quoting mccain.. saying biden agreed with mccain when he was really making fun of him..\n\nanother ooops./\n\n\n120% think global warming is a hoax... ooooops\n\nbut dan rather.. booo.. them liberals never bother to check their facts... fire him fire him fire him the liar.\n",
"score": 50
},
{
"body": "Thanks for debunking that jingoistic retard. I've been to Denmark, it's a nice place - beautiful place, really.\n\nThat scaling thing the Republicans keep bringing up really bugs me. Who cares if Denmark has 5.5 million and the US has 300 million people? They act like it's somehow mind boggling to think that any system could work for us because we're soooo huge.\n\nI can't comprehend the stupidity of this attitude, so I really don't have a good comeback for it. It's like saying \"Oh sure, they have _roads_ in Denmark, but it's a tiny little country, such roads would _never_ work in the great big United States.\"\n\nHaven't they ever heard of dividing up the work? Delegating authority? You'd think being the representatives of big business they'd have some management know-how.",
"score": 34
},
{
"body": "Thank you from a fellow Dane for setting the record straight!\r\nI always marvel at how Americans say \"free health care\" as if that's somehow a bad thing?\r\n\r\nThe mind boggles.\r\nTak for indsatsen :)",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "Republicans are good at making enemies out of everyone. During the debate over health care reform, they didn't just attack the health care systems of those countries that the Democrats pointed to for ideas that we could borrow to improve our own, but the republicans mocked those nations as a whole and insulted their people. Even if a citizen of one of those nations didn't particularly care for his nation's health care system, at the end of the day he defended that system if only to ward off the slime being thrown by the nutjobs at Fox News.\n",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "People should do this for every O'Reilly show. Except that the people that actually watch the show would never read or believe the fact-checking.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "When do we get to start blaming the people who watch this crap, and the voters who put up 2 parties that prefer to represent corporate interests over those of the people?\n\nWe are the problem. If we want to be like Denmark, we have to demand it. If we want change, we have to demand it. We should be rioting in the streets over the shit that Washington feeds us, but I guess we're too complacent.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Well, this is as usual, total bullshit. So why spend any time on it? That's what they do, they lie and deceit. \nFunny thing is, when I was younger (early 90's), our relatives in Oregon used to send us old blankets and clothes by mail for some odd reason. They probably thought Finland was a old sovjet-country or something.. It was really demeaning to say the least. ",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": ">I don't watch the O'Reilly Factor, since they don't show it in Denmark.\r\n\r\nConsider yourself fortunate...",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "The difference: America is a clusterfuck, Denmark isn't.\n\nI don't know what to do about it though. Someday I just want to move away to Europe. I don't know how long I can take all this bullshit.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "... can I move to denmark? I can't speak danish, but I'm starting to wonder if I should try to learn. I'd rather work hard for a community that will actually benefit from it, and respect me for it, than toss my labor into the Great American Cess Pit where I will continue to be marginalized and overlooked.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I cannot upvote this enough. Good clarification. \n\nEven as a swede i am a bit offended by O'Reilly's bullshit.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": ">The lie: First of all, there's no evidence that a system like the Danish is incapable of scaling.\n\nOnly if the US scales back it's defense budget to match the Danes. The US Defense budget eats up a ridiculous amount of tax revenue. $533.8 billion/yr in fact. The entire GDP of Denmark is only $343 Billion. America is more concerned with killing people than providing services to its citizens and shows the issues with scalability with the current US budget model..\n\nO'Reilly fits into that school of thought, which is why he can't see beyond the curtain of bullets in these types of debates.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "My friend is from Norway and He talks a lot about his home and Denmark since he has friends from there. He just high lights the fact that living over there would be better then here. In some ways.\n\nHe also mentioned a super high wages. Is that true in Denmark\n\nEDIT: As well as a high living cost?",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "This was a really interesting post, there's nothing like first-hand experience to really dispel popular myths",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": " i am liking what i hear about Denmark except the Weather \ni am feeling cold and it's only 73 F ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Unfortunately, people who watch the Fucktard, sorry, the 'Factor', don't read reddit (likely because they are illiterate).\n\n",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "[Planet Money](http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/planet_money_podcast/) podcast on NPR have recently done two shows on Denmarks tax system. Quite interesting and balanced.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I like this thread. And I think I'll like Denmark. I live in a semi tropical paradise where I can go scuba diving or fishing or sailing all the time but there is an undercurrent of repressive ignorant government and population. Despite that , the many great things I've read about places like Copenhagen among others invite me for a visit. Peace up Danes. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I always thought that O'Really presentation is part of the reason I always get sick in the stomach when listening to his bullshit. \nBut alas even just reading this made me through up a little in my mouth. \nNevertheless thx OP for breaking this down so nicely. (no sarcasm)",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "You know, I could bash the Factor, but there's Denmark in this post.\n\nSo, upvoted because Denmark is awesome. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": ">> OK, so Oprah looked positively giddy to be in Denmark. Now, she was there, it's 14 below zero now in January. She was there in the fall. And I'm going to myself, does she really understand the country? What say you?\n\n>The lie: It's not 14 below zero, and we have not had average temperatures like that since the last ice-age. The average day-temperature hovers around 25-30 degrees, a few degrees colder at night.\n\nTechnically, he is not saying that the average temperature is 14 below zero, he was saying that the temperature was -14C at the time of the interview. Without knowing when the interview was made, I saw -12C on a thermometer when I was there over Christmas so it is not unlikely that he was correct.\n\nAnd the average temperature in Denmark is not quite 25-30C. July and August are the warmest months with daytime averages around 20C. The daytime average over a year is more like 11C. The nighttime average over a year is around 5C.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Well Denmark, I have only talked to a few of your country people as I traveled the world, but those few were brilliant.\n\nI know as Americans (USA) we are programmed not ot understand Denmark at all. You have a true democracy (where we are a Republic) yet have a very excellent government run health care system (one of conversations was with Urologist).\n\nI think we have much to learn from you and I am going to Bitch about my biggest Beef about America\n\n*WHY IS IT AMERICAN MEDIA TREATS EVERY AMERICAN PROBLEM AS IF IT IS NEW TO THE WORLD?*\n\nBorder issues, come on my breathren since there has been agriculture there has been borders.\n\nHealth care, good grief. Maybe we can learn from the Chinese from 3000 years ago that you paid your doctor when you were healthy. If you were sick, obviously he was not doing his job.\n\nETC!\n\n/rant off",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": ">The Danish government isn't replacing your family... \n\nOne family, please. Danish. Hold the gingers, extra siblings. Thanks!",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Yeah, O'Reilley has never let actual facts get in the way of his propaganda machine. Don't take it too personally, he does it to everyone he disagrees with...",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "as a Canadian that doesn't watch FOX i'd like to offer a HUZZAH! for pointing out fox news fuckups.\r\n\r\nas a Canadian however I must also respond to you aggressively. \r\n\r\n[GET YOUR HANDS OFF OUR ISLAND!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Island)\r\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "The reason they can't get anything right is because they're phrasing every problem in terms of a false dichotomies. \n\nI love how everyone else can solve their problems except Americans can't because of scale. This is rich coming from the same people who normally welcome a private company's ability to maximize profits through the very same economies of scale that they would abhor a government utilizing. \n\nAlso, because Americans value big homes, possessions, and the Horatio Alger myth. So must everyone else. Never mind that we have incredible problems due to a lack of community; problems likely caused by our big, disparate houses and mind-numbing amounts of distraction and entertainment in our environment.\n\nMocking great thinkers is just a way to make yourself feel better. But you make yourself a fool in the process.\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "If you have something you know is nonsense, but want people to believe it, do what Fox does: Repeat at ever increasing decibels and copious amounts of man-tears while shooting moose from helicopters don'cha knogh?",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Does anyone else think that Bill O'Reilly is one of the most pathologically egotistical and angry individuals that has ever been granted a public forum? The manner in which he conducts his interviews indicates that he may in fact be a complete control freak. He frequently tells people to \"Shut up!\" and often appears so angry that he appears on the verge of physical violence. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "It is stunning/absurd to see that FOX would cite Aristotle (or Plato) to advocate a anti-Government view. Both Plato and Aristotle (whoever is meant) did not know any such strong contrast between the private and the public; Plato wrote an utopia in which the Government rules every aspect of human life, at least of the Philosopher Kings (and he didn't see anything problematic with it); and although Aristotle was more moderate, for him only the public life is a complete life, and the state \"is prior to\" the individuals. \n\nThe very idea that \"If the government starts to take over in any four of those areas, humans derive then less satisfaction.\" would be abject to both Plato and Aristotle, if not to most other Greek philosophers. In fact, they would most probably advocate the contrary: A life that is not commonly regulated by all in the shared life of a polis is not really valueable.\n\nTL;DR: Hoover's representation of Plato and Aristotle is completely mistaken.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Thanks for this. Everything I've ever read about Denmark (that was factual) makes it sound like a wonderful place to live and my fiancee and I are considering moving them for some part of our lives (pre-kids, post-kids, retirement, something).\n\nI know everyone speaks English, but it seems like you need to speak Danish to really fit in, and I'm already preoccupied with trying to learning 3 other languages and not doing so well.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I hope that the average conservative citizens of the USA realize that the GOP and its propaganda machinery have been so out of touch with reality that they are turning against every reasonable person, country.\n\nThis is an example of Fox News trying to prove that Denmark is a communist/socialist country. It's just stupid. They want to align universal health care with socialism, but unfortunately, every decent country on Earth -- perhaps except one -- has a universal health care. So the GOP and Fox have been going around to bad mouth about all of them. France is communist. Canada is communist. Great Britain is communist. The list goes on and on. \n\nThis is just stupid. I truly hope the average conservative is smarter than that for the sake of the country.\n\n",
"score": 3
}
]
|
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