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Shoot the Wall (A.K.A. The Rant Thread)


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57 minutes ago, Sheerluck said:

Map reading was a required skill when I was growing up.

It's amazing how many perfectly intelligent younger people  nowadays will try to read a local map without orienting it.

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1 hour ago, Sheerluck said:

I hate GPS and use maps. Map reading was a required skill when I was growing up. 

Yes, and I've been to many places using only a map. But it's hard to drive and read a map at the same time - at least to drive safely. On my feet, I still prefer paper maps.

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21 hours ago, J.P. said:

Yes, and I've been to many places using only a map. But it's hard to drive and read a map at the same time - at least to drive safely. On my feet, I still prefer paper maps.

That's why I plan my route before heading out. I keep the map open and look at it when I stop if necessary.

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I'm not sure if I'm good or not at reading maps.

When I was supposed to navigate during my outdoor expeditions, I had no idea how to, I definitely hate compass, I swear they never consistent, at least to me, land or underwater compass, all sucks. I'm almost always clueless and rely on just looking at actual surrounding instead of maps and did I say I hate compass in this kind of situation.

I do able to navigate using paper map in the city while riding or driving though. Had to do that very often since my place has somehow become holiday destination for friends and family, and as resident *I should know* (spoiler: I don't!) so I had to ride shotgun holding map and pointing direction and paper map, they are either too advanced (putting landmarks that are not built yet) or outdated. We always reach our destination although not without detour sometimes. But I like to ask around for direction, multiple times (as I don't trust only one person). The best is when they gave me direction like, turn east here, then north, the southwest. Excuse me....how am I supposed to know where is east??? XD 

Once as tourist we rented a car, arrived past midnight ad had to we navigate in strange town using only tourist map (only show main roads that is very very simplified), apparently our hotel was in another town and we tried to ask direction from the airport. :D Now we had good laugh about it and the effort of those people we asked in trying to help us (nevermind, we really didn't understand). Anyway, spoiler, we didn't survive because of me asking direction or reading tourist map (weeeeellll maybe 5-10%???? :P ) but effort and excellent memory of one of us who visited this town more than a decade ago.

Before Google Maps and me having data plan (I used to stay offline) I'd study map, write down key direction on a small piece of paper, and blue-tac it between motorcycle handle. If I missed the turn, got lost, I'd stop somewhere and study the map again to get back. Now I use google map, it's very helpful when there is road closure or detour but sometimes they are quite stupid and lead me to one way street but insist on me going against everyone else.

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4 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I'm not sure if I'm good or not at reading maps.
When I was supposed to navigate during my outdoor expeditions, I had no idea how to, I definitely hate compass, I swear they never consistent, at least to me, land or underwater compass, all sucks. I'm almost always clueless and rely on just looking at actual surrounding instead of maps and did I say I hate compass in this kind of situation.

If you have a good detailed map -- one that shows landmarks that you can see from where you're standing -- then you don't need a compass at all.  You simply start by "orienting" the map, which is to say, hold it level while rotating it horizontally until the landmarks are in the same directions on the map as in the landscape.  Then either head toward a landmark (if that's the directions you've been given) or head in a particular compass direction as provided by the map (if that's the directions you've been given).

I hope that's clear.  It's a hell of a lot easier to demonstrate than to explain!

I like to ask around for direction, multiple times (as I don't trust only one person). The best is when they gave me direction like, turn east here, then north, the southwest. Excuse me....how am I supposed to know where is east???

XD

Oh, that's easy -- all you have to do is arrange to be born in the midwestern US -- just about all the roads here go either straight east-west or straight north-south, so everyone just naturally thinks in those terms.  It also makes it much easier to write directions, because you can just say something like "Get off Interstate 65 at Exit 30 and go east" instead of having to explain that they should turn right if they had been going north on the Interstate, or left if they had been going south.

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My best friends are county maps, because they actually show all the local roads, unlike the state maps, which hardly show any. But you have to stop at the visitor's center of every county you go through to get one.

On ‎4‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 11:49 PM, Carol the Dabbler said:

The end of a trip goes like this (including her quaint pronunciation):  "Navigay ting off-road.  Arriving a tome."

One of many reasons I don't like machines talking to me.

One of my friends has her GPS (thanks Carol!) set up so that all the instructions are issued by Wallace, of Wallace and Gromit fame. It's cute for about 5 minutes, after which I'm ready to shoot the blamed thing. Especially when we already know where we're going.

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2 hours ago, Arcadia said:

My best friends are county maps, because they actually show all the local roads, unlike the state maps, which hardly show any. But you have to stop at the visitor's center of every county you go through to get one.

One of many reasons I don't like machines talking to me.

One of my friends has her GPS (thanks Carol!) set up so that all the instructions are issued by Wallace, of Wallace and Gromit fame. It's cute for about 5 minutes, after which I'm ready to shoot the blamed thing. Especially when we already know where we're going.

Wait. Cleggy's voice on a GPS? How weirdly wonderful.

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1 hour ago, Sheerluck said:

Wait. Cleggy's voice on a GPS? How weirdly wonderful.

Yep. He's prone to random side comments about his favorite cheese, too. Funny until the 3rd time …...

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18 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

If you have a good detailed map -- one that shows landmarks that you can see from where you're standing -- then you don't need a compass at all.  You simply start by "orienting" the map, which is to say, hold it level while rotating it horizontally until the landmarks are in the same directions on the map as in the landscape.  Then either head toward a landmark (if that's the directions you've been given) or head in a particular compass direction as provided by the map (if that's the directions you've been given).

I hope that's clear.  It's a hell of a lot easier to demonstrate than to explain!

It's clear, I use that method too, but it doesn't work in remote area like jungle or underwater. We barely have notable or visible landmark. Mountaineering is easier, go up. Usually there are not many detour to get there, so as wall diving, when we have drop off, we just need to pay notice of whether the wall of coral is on our right or left, measure the time before we head back. The current could mess up the direction and orientation for sure, but the key is stick to the wall. However, when it's sandy bottom or what we call muck diving, we barely have anything around (we hunt the photographs of sand dwellers or master of camouflage between rubble of coral, if any, tree trunk or patches of sea anemone on the ground. Or in the forest where all you can see are trees and trees. Once we found a hidden cave that was used for hiding and torture (what I heard) during war when we were not supposed too and the other time we got too close to sensitive military area that two helicopters checked on us, these are not common incident though.

18 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

Oh, that's easy -- all you have to do is arrange to be born in the midwestern US --

Oh yes, sound plausible :) but it has to go near the bottom of my list, I still want to be born as spear wielding tribesman somewhere near some island on Pacific ocean.

 

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This is the first time I learn how costly it is to have a broken fridge.

Along my adult life, this is literally the first time a fridge broke on me since my other fridge last for decades and still. This is the youngest one I have in my current place, five years old. It doesn't break down completely, but started off sneakily by not freezing some food. (Only some, it even led me to suspect that there was harmless chemical in those particular meats that prevent them from being frozen) to completely lost its freezing ability. However, it works and creates strong sound and chill once in a while, which prove dangerous because I could't be sure if my food are safe and it gave me hope that it's still working, until the point that those meat and ice were definitely not in freezer condition. The fridge area still work fine. So I had to throw away a lot of food, bought some (thought it was working again) and threw it away again. 

The new fridge can't be delivered soon enough that I ended up having to throw more, and apparently it's only okay to plug the fridge three hours after it had been relocated (new one and the half working one that I moved upstairs). The previous home owner was an idiot and she build a small fix fridge space so I could never able to have bigger fridge which I need. So I hang on to the half working fridge that probably still useful for keeping fruits and dog treats (anyway, I can't get rid of it easily, worse, I'd just have fancy cupboard).

Anyone ever re-purpose a fridge into something else?

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10 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

The previous home owner was an idiot and she build a small fix fridge space so I could never able to have bigger fridge which I need.

Did she ever live in Irondequoit NY?  I bought a house like that once, and ended up using the "fridge" space for my washer and dryer (fortunately it was wide enough for both, though I have no idea why).  That was very convenient, but it left the fridge in a less-than-ideal location.

Come to think of it, is she me?  I designed our new kitchen to have shelves over the fridge, which is fine in theory, but A} our old fridge sticks out so far that it's almost impossible for me to reach the shelves, and B} our new fridge (we have two right now) is almost too tall for that space and sticks out even further, so if we ever ditch the old one in favor of the new one, I may see if the shelves can be removed, because I wouldn't be able to reach them at all.

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On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 12:10 PM, Van Buren Supernova said:

This is the first time I learn how costly it is to have a broken fridge.

Along my adult life, this is literally the first time a fridge broke on me since my other fridge last for decades and still. This is the youngest one I have in my current place, five years old. It doesn't break down completely, but started off sneakily by not freezing some food. (Only some, it even led me to suspect that there was harmless chemical in those particular meats that prevent them from being frozen) to completely lost its freezing ability. However, it works and creates strong sound and chill once in a while, which prove dangerous because I could't be sure if my food are safe and it gave me hope that it's still working, until the point that those meat and ice were definitely not in freezer condition. The fridge area still work fine. So I had to throw away a lot of food, bought some (thought it was working again) and threw it away again. 

The new fridge can't be delivered soon enough that I ended up having to throw more, and apparently it's only okay to plug the fridge three hours after it had been relocated (new one and the half working one that I moved upstairs). The previous home owner was an idiot and she build a small fix fridge space so I could never able to have bigger fridge which I need. So I hang on to the half working fridge that probably still useful for keeping fruits and dog treats (anyway, I can't get rid of it easily, worse, I'd just have fancy cupboard).

Anyone ever re-purpose a fridge into something else?

We have a freezer in the basement that I unplugged … no reason to have that much frozen food in the house, in my opinion. I use it as extra shelf space. :smile: 

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 1:12 PM, Sheerluck said:

There's nowt wrong with a bit of Wensleydale but I'm sure it could be a bit grating.

Booooo……………….

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 1:21 PM, J.P. said:

Nokia navigation has pre-recorded human voices. They are very good and sound almost natural, talking full sentences.

They've installed Alexa in the classroom where I teach. She has a natural voice and talks in full sentences too. I still hate her. :P 

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On 4/27/2019 at 10:23 AM, Carol the Dabbler said:

Did she ever live in Irondequoit NY?  I bought a house like that once, and ended up using the "fridge" space for my washer and dryer (fortunately it was wide enough for both, though I have no idea why).  That was very convenient, but it left the fridge in a less-than-ideal location.

Come to think of it, is she me?  I designed our new kitchen to have shelves over the fridge, which is fine in theory, but A} our old fridge sticks out so far that it's almost impossible for me to reach the shelves, and B} our new fridge (we have two right now) is almost too tall for that space and sticks out even further, so if we ever ditch the old one in favor of the new one, I may see if the shelves can be removed, because I wouldn't be able to reach them at all.

Nope, she is not you. I met her and she didn't look American. Actually, my other house also has small built-in fridge space. But the kitchen is bigger, so we just bought bigger fridge anyway (tbh, we didn't measure when we bought it, it was  not intentional) and put it in different orientation next to the space, and utilize the space for untidy stuff like broom, shopping trolley etc etc.

For this house, it is not ideal to put it somewhere else, so I have to settle with small fridge, and it has shelf on top as well!! Which bloody limit the possibility of having slim but taller fridge. To access that shelf, I normally climb the kitchen counter next to it, to lazy to drag something for step. So, the sweets are never safe. :p

On 4/27/2019 at 1:01 AM, J.P. said:

It's a pest free and mostly waterproof cupboard, good for keeping important stuff. I can remember Viggo Mortensen was mentioning keeping his manuscripts (or were those letters?) in a fridge for exactly the same reason.

 

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

We have a freezer in the basement that I unplugged … no reason to have that much frozen food in the house, in my opinion. I use it as extra shelf space.

Now that I have new perfectly working fridge, it seems like my old one is really broken. Although the fridge part still chill, it's not as chill as normal since I'm able to make comparison. I don't want to risk spoiling food and pay for extra electricity, so no more second fridge, fancy cupboard it is.

So do they smell? Of course I have cleaned them. Just worried that the seal will result in funny smell. No?

And which one is better; books, curtain or cameras/lens? 

These three need housing. Is it a stretch to hope that it works as dry cabinet? :P oh OHHH could it be a house for Sherlock diorama. I imagine some visitors want beverage and find 221B inside the fridge instead, that would be fun!

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I vote for the last one! :D 

I was worried about the smell too, but it has never been a problem. It seems to work the same as any other closet. I had books, records and stationery in mine, but I'm finally getting rid of it in favor of some real shelves … the outside of it is getting rather rusty. 

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At this point, the following should probably go in the Anti-Rant Thread, but since we don't have one....

Last year our landline was kind of a mess.  About half the time the voice line was unusable -- either the line was dead, or there was no dial tone, or there was so much noise on the line that it was impossible to tell whether there was a dial tone or not.  If we hadn't had our internet service (which has worked fine) via the phone line, we'd probably have cancelled our landline ages ago and just used our cell phones.

One side effect of noise on the line was that every so often the phone system would interpret the noise as us dialing 411 (the phone-number lookup service), which is a billable call, so we'd find a bunch of those charges on our bill.  (There was also the occasional 911 call (!), which would bring a sheriff's deputy to our door, but at least those are free.)  So we would phone the billing department and say we hadn't made those 411 calls, and they'd send a technician out to verify that there was a line problem, and then they'd delete the charges from our bill.  (The tech would apparently claim to have repaired the problem, but it didn't go away.)

This became a more-or-less monthly occurrence, but at least they always deleted the charges.  Until October, which is when it gets really weird.

We contacted them as usual, to say that we had not actually made those 411 calls.  They promised to send a tech out, and if the tech found a problem, they promised, as usual, to remove the charges.  The tech did come out the very next day, and not only said he'd found (three!) line problems -- he actually fixed them!  Our voice line has been clear as a bell ever since.

So we waited for the charges to be removed from our bill.  But this time, they were not.  So we contacted them again in November, and this time they said we'd need to "initiate a dispute" or something like that, so we said fine, let's do that, and they said they had done it, and it should take a month or so to complete.  But the charges were still on our bill a couple months later.  Meanwhile, we were paying the amount we figured we actually owed each month, but they were adding late fees because we weren't paying the entire amount.

The next time we mailed in our check, we enclosed a letter explaining the situation, which had the expected effect, namely nothing.  So a month or so later I wrote another letter, and this time sent it to the phone company's VP of Consumer Relations, who (according to their website) is in charge of resolving weird problems.  Never heard a peep from her either.

Then a month ago, we got a disconnect notice (pay up or else!).  I phoned, and got a very competent-sounding agent, who was at least able to get the late fees removed.  She also said that her supervisor had removed the October 411 charges, and they should disappear from our online bill within a day or two.  But they didn't disappear, so I phoned again and got another competent-sounding agent, who said that what the supervisor had actually done was to initiate some procedure which could take up to 12 business days to complete.  He also said I should phone a different department in order to get the disconnect notice removed, and that part worked.  But the 12-day procedure still had no effect, even after three weeks or so.

So I phoned again on Tuesday.  First I got a rather less-than-competent-sounding agent, who kept repeating that we had failed to pay several of our bills.  After I hung up on him, I phoned again, and got another very competent-sounding agent who took her time and studied our files thoroughly and did something that actually worked!!!  Our balance is now zero!  :D  For the first time in six months!  I am stunned.

Hopefully we will have no further noise on the line (and therefore no further fake-411-call charges).  But if we do, I will tell the repair department to have the tech check the pedestal down the road for moisture leakage.  That oughta fix it.

One thing (among many) that seems odd to me is that the only way noise on our line could be interpreted as us dialing a number is that the local central-office equipment must still support rotary dialing.  When a rotary dial is pulled around to, say, 4, it will automatically return to its home position, very briefly breaking the connection four times (or five times if you dial 5, etc.) on the way back.  So someone in this community could still use a phone from the 50's, if they still had one, which is actually kinda cool.  But it also allows those fake "411 calls" to occur.  If the central office supported only modern DTMF (tone) dialing, there's no way this could happen.

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I admire your patience, I would have sought a way to cancel my landline when the trouble started, or threatened to go to another company if they didn't fix it.

 

Back on topic, does anyone hates their name? To the point of seriously considering changing if it wasn't such a hasle or expensive? I do, I've always hated my name. People teased me about it in elementary school, now I'm older everyone has trouble with either the pronunciation or the spelling and it genuinely pisses me off. What definitely doesn't help is that there are people who tell me that it is a beautiful name, I'm just like try having your name butchered for the majority of your life and then tell me how beautiful it is.

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2 hours ago, Fantasy Lover said:

I admire your patience, I would have sought a way to cancel my landline when the trouble started, or threatened to go to another company if they didn't fix it.

Believe me, if there were another company in this area that provided internet service at least as good as what we were getting from the phone company, we'd have dumped them months ago.  But there really isn't.

People teased me about it in elementary school, now I'm older everyone has trouble with either the pronunciation or the spelling and it genuinely pisses me off.

People can butcher just about any name you care to mention.  My own last name is fairly common around here, so it's rarely mispronounced, but there are about seventeen legitimate ways to spell it, so it does get misspelt.  I told a friend that I envied him for having such a simple last name, Ing.  How could it possibly be misspelt or mispronounced?  But, to quote him, you'd be amazed!  And he told me some stories -- people who want to rhyme it with hinge, people who won't believe it's his last name, and want to know what it's an abbreviation for, and so on.  So I've made peace with my own name.

However, if your name is truly a thorn in your side, then by all means change it now while you're still young.  Just be sure that your new name is something that you will be more comfortable with -- which unfortunately isn't all that easy to determine till you've actually used the name for a while.

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I have no idea about the situation in Belgium, though, but here in Austria at least it's not that easy to change your name. For starters, you have to state a legitimate reason for wishing to have it changed, though "difficult to pronounce or spell" is one of those accepted reasons. And it also costs like a couple hundred euros (I happen to know that stuff because a friend's son successfully changed his given name last year, and it was indeed a hassle).

And yeah, people can butcher even the simplest names. Our last name has five friggin' letters and people misspell all the time. :huh:

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The same in Germany. My family name is a mutilated Polish name caught in the long history of border regions between Poland and Germany. The rule is: if someone stutters - it's me. We've had the chance to change it after moving to Germany, but nobody told us. I did ask about the process several years after, and alone the looks I've got from the clerks, discouraged me effectively. And I think I've had heard a four-digit number of old German Marks I've heard, but it's "depending on your income". The costs for changing all your documents etc. not included. 🙄

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