Phoenix's gayborhood is located on one of the few stretches of road in the city that isn't... straight (https://www.phoenix.org/valley_history/one-tiny-mistake-that-created-7th-avenue-s-famous-melrose-curve/article_361f0e37-c8f3-5b36-83fa-a8aa08e90461.html)
(https://i.imgur.com/NlEYyi9.png)
Is this where I make a joke where I say I'm as straight as (very curvy road)?
As for minor things that please me, cracking open a cold Dr Pepper in hot weather.
The Howard Frankland Bridge finally opening after nearly five years of construction. :bigass:
Pulling off an exercise week as planned with no disruptions.
My standard exercise week consists of 4.5 hours of cardio within four days and 3.5 of strength training within five. Generally I plan to do all of it before work. I loathe working out after work and find it way harder to be motivated for whatever reason.
Working out makes me sleepy, so there's no way I could work out at the beginning of the day.
On the other hand, hanging out in a sauna or hot tub after working out, knowing that you can just relax and be lazy for the rest of the night, no more responsibilities or things to do...There's not much better than that.
I mean, a lot of things? :)
-The smell of popcorn popping
-Frost melting on my windshield in the sunlight
-Being the last one out at work
-A full gas tank
-The night before a day off feeling
-That first breath of Great Lakes/ocean air after you get out of the car
-Locking my bedroom door
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 25, 2025, 05:33:57 PMWorking out makes me sleepy, so there's no way I could work out at the beginning of the day.
Usually, I start the day with a good long run. The endorphin release from that is usually enough to get me out of almost any bad mood and carry me through most of the day.
As a kid, I remember going to the sports section of the Tribune and reading about my favorite teams' win, especially when it was the Cubs :sombrero:
Quote from: kernals12 on March 21, 2025, 12:38:54 AMPhoenix's gayborhood is located on one of the few stretches of road in the city that isn't... straight (https://www.phoenix.org/valley_history/one-tiny-mistake-that-created-7th-avenue-s-famous-melrose-curve/article_361f0e37-c8f3-5b36-83fa-a8aa08e90461.html)
There isn't a gayborhood there, but I always snicker at the fact that Las Vegas's Rainbow Boulevard just happens to occupy the 6900 W spot in the grid.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 26, 2025, 04:24:23 PMQuote from: kernals12 on March 21, 2025, 12:38:54 AMPhoenix's gayborhood is located on one of the few stretches of road in the city that isn't... straight (https://www.phoenix.org/valley_history/one-tiny-mistake-that-created-7th-avenue-s-famous-melrose-curve/article_361f0e37-c8f3-5b36-83fa-a8aa08e90461.html)
There isn't a gayborhood there, but I always snicker at the fact that Las Vegas's Rainbow Boulevard just happens to occupy the 6900 W spot in the grid.
Oh please, is there any place gayer than Las Vegas? It's a city built on camp
Quote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:29:50 AMQuote from: Scott5114 on March 26, 2025, 04:24:23 PMQuote from: kernals12 on March 21, 2025, 12:38:54 AMPhoenix's gayborhood is located on one of the few stretches of road in the city that isn't... straight (https://www.phoenix.org/valley_history/one-tiny-mistake-that-created-7th-avenue-s-famous-melrose-curve/article_361f0e37-c8f3-5b36-83fa-a8aa08e90461.html)
There isn't a gayborhood there, but I always snicker at the fact that Las Vegas's Rainbow Boulevard just happens to occupy the 6900 W spot in the grid.
Oh please, is there any place gayer than Las Vegas? It's a city built on camp
Key West and San Francisco enter the discussion. Take a trip down to Bisbee or even Old Town Scottsdale in your general area, you might be surprised.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 27, 2025, 11:31:18 AMQuote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:29:50 AMQuote from: Scott5114 on March 26, 2025, 04:24:23 PMQuote from: kernals12 on March 21, 2025, 12:38:54 AMPhoenix's gayborhood is located on one of the few stretches of road in the city that isn't... straight (https://www.phoenix.org/valley_history/one-tiny-mistake-that-created-7th-avenue-s-famous-melrose-curve/article_361f0e37-c8f3-5b36-83fa-a8aa08e90461.html)
There isn't a gayborhood there, but I always snicker at the fact that Las Vegas's Rainbow Boulevard just happens to occupy the 6900 W spot in the grid.
Oh please, is there any place gayer than Las Vegas? It's a city built on camp
Key West and San Francisco enter the discussion. Take a trip down to Bisbee or even Old Town Scottsdale in your general area, you might be surprised.
I don't mean that Las Vegas has a lot of gay people, I mean that it is a city built around debauchery and excess.
When your home town muni is *finally* able to annex that one über-annoying little property and take care of that issue that has been vexing everyone for years.
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on March 27, 2025, 11:44:55 AMWhen your home town muni is *finally* able to annex that one über-annoying little property and take care of that issue that has been vexing everyone for years.
Mike
Tell us more
The way my cat always needs to be in the same room as me.
Quote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:29:50 AMOh please, is there any place gayer than Las Vegas?
Quote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:38:51 AMI don't mean that Las Vegas has a lot of gay people, I mean that it is a city built around debauchery and excess.
Has homosexuality been a key feature of Las Vegas's historical debauchery? If not, then how does its historical debauchery make it gay?
- good weather
- chocolate
Quote from: kphoger on March 27, 2025, 12:22:58 PMQuote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:29:50 AMOh please, is there any place gayer than Las Vegas?
Quote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:38:51 AMI don't mean that Las Vegas has a lot of gay people, I mean that it is a city built around debauchery and excess.
Has homosexuality been a key feature of Las Vegas's historical debauchery? If not, then how does its historical debauchery make it gay?
I imagine that the fact that the formative years of the gay community (1960s and 1970s) falling during the era of mob control of Las Vegas somewhat stifled the development of a gay community here.
Or it could be that Vegas is just like "so you're gay, so what", which would be pretty in-character for the modern culture here. Vegas's historic gayborhood, which is called the Fruit Loop, is located in Paradise, along Naples Drive near UNLV. It's pretty sad-looking; I think OKC's 39th Street district is probably bigger. But Vegas has no end of the sorts of amenities that you'd expect to find in such a district, it's just that they're spread out across the city, rather than being being centralized for safety reasons like they were in other cities.
Quote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:48:57 AMThe way my cat always needs to be in the same room as me.
Heh. Our cat has been acting really needy lately. Most of the time it's fine and it's nice to feel wanted. I do have to set up a sliding gate (some people call it a "baby gate") in my home office door to keep her out of here. The one time I let her in, she got tangled up in all the cables and wires and it was a nightmare getting her untangled because she wouldn't stay still. So when she wants to be fed or she's just plain feeling lonely she comes to the door and meows and, if I don't acknowledge her quickly enough, starts tugging on the gate. The only real problem arises at night. My wife is a very light sleeper (opposite of me), so if the cat comes to the bedroom door and starts scratching and meowing, my wife wakes up. I installed a "Retract-a-Gate" at the bottom of the stairs and it was effective for a good while until the cat figured out how to crawl under it. So then we got a rather heavy draft guard (one of those cylindrical beanbag-type things intended to be placed in front of a drafty door, fireplace, or similar) and we put that behind the gate after closing it. That does the job.
When an itinerary is executed flawlessly and leaves me with some extra time to fill with actual relaxation.
Quote from: kphoger on March 27, 2025, 12:22:58 PMQuote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:29:50 AMOh please, is there any place gayer than Las Vegas?
Quote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:38:51 AMI don't mean that Las Vegas has a lot of gay people, I mean that it is a city built around debauchery and excess.
Has homosexuality been a key feature of Las Vegas's historical debauchery? If not, then how does its historical debauchery make it gay?
Ever heard of Liberace?
Quote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 02:00:57 PMEver heard of Liberace?
Liberace never came out, though.
(He did get a street named after him. There's a gym at the corner of Liberace and Maryland. I can only imagine what goes on there.)
I find it amusing in retrospect that so many women of the era were convinced he was straight.
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 27, 2025, 02:17:24 PMQuote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 02:00:57 PMEver heard of Liberace?
Liberace never came out, though.
(He did get a street named after him. There's a gym at the corner of Liberace and Maryland. I can only imagine what goes on there.)
This conversation is cringe on all sorts of levels, if only because of k12's missteps.
is there a street named after him in his hometown MKE metro area?
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on March 28, 2025, 01:34:18 PMis there a street named after him in his hometown MKE metro area?
Mike
No, though West Milwaukee named their high school auditorium after him (https://www.milwaukeemag.com/does-west-allis-have-any-love-for-liberace/).
Drop D tuning
Atlanta in the state of Georgia and Tbilisi in the country of Georgia are sister cities
Quote from: TheCatalyst31 on March 28, 2025, 10:01:10 PMQuote from: mgk920 on March 28, 2025, 01:34:18 PMis there a street named after him in his hometown MKE metro area?
Mike
No, though West Milwaukee named their high school auditorium after him (https://www.milwaukeemag.com/does-west-allis-have-any-love-for-liberace/).
He grew up on 60th Street in West Allis and graduated from West Milwaukee High School. He provided numerous scholarships and other financial support for the high school's music programs right up until he died. My wife went to that high school and sang in the choir at his local memorial service.
Alas, it is no longer a high school, but a middle school.
The Chicago Tribune has an outstanding headline about a well-known restaurant's bankruptcy filing (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/01/hooters-bankruptcy-protection/):
"Restaurant chain Hooters goes bust and files for bankruptcy protection"
Quote from: kphoger on March 31, 2025, 09:43:40 AMDrop D tuning
I think it's impressive that people can switch back and forth between that and standard tuning without losing track of what they're playing.
I tried doing drop D tuning on my crappy no-name bass once and the string was loose enough that it made a horrific clattering against the frets, so I tuned it back to E.
When approaching a red light and there's a line of cars in one lane, but the other lane is open: timing my approach to hit the intersection just as the light is turning green and zooming past the line of stopped traffic without so much as tapping the brakes, and then being like a quarter mile down the road before the line of traffic even gets up to speed :nod:
Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2025, 08:41:17 AMWhen approaching a red light and there's a line of cars in one lane, but the other lane is open: timing my approach to hit the intersection just as the light is turning green and zooming past the line of stopped traffic without so much as tapping the brakes, and then being like a quarter mile down the road before the line of traffic even gets up to speed :nod:
My only concern about doing that is the risk that someone in the stopped lane will wake up and abruptly change lanes without looking. Especially given how some people leave massive gaps between cars.
Quote from: kphoger on March 31, 2025, 09:43:40 AMDrop D tuning
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 02, 2025, 10:08:59 PMI think it's impressive that people can switch back and forth between that and standard tuning without losing track of what they're playing.
I tried doing drop D tuning on my crappy no-name bass once and the string was loose enough that it made a horrific clattering against the frets, so I tuned it back to E.
I play acoustic guitar. While I have filled in on bass in church a couple of times, it took all of my brain power to just barely make it through. With more practice, I suppose I could get better, but I don't really have any desire to.
Years ago, I started messing around with Low-C tuning, which is C-G-D-G-A-D. I once asked an electric guitar player I knew (from our church back in Illinois) if he had ever tried that tuning. He said yes, and I asked him what he thought. His answer was that it was like stringing his guitar with dental floss.
I play guitar in Drop-D tuning so much more than standard tuning, that now I sometimes play incorrectly in standard tuning. (I don't play lead, just chord shapes.)
In the band at our church, there's one song for which the bass player tunes his low string down to E♭-A-D-G. Now, that would mess with my head wa-a-a-ay more!
Quote from: 1995hoo on April 03, 2025, 08:55:11 AMQuoteWhen approaching a red light and there's a line of cars in one lane, but the other lane is open: timing my approach to hit the intersection just as the light is turning green and zooming past the line of stopped traffic without so much as tapping the brakes, and then being like a quarter mile down the road before the line of traffic even gets up to speed :nod:
My only concern about doing that is the risk that someone in the stopped lane will wake up and abruptly change lanes without looking. Especially given how some people leave massive gaps between cars.
That's fair enough. The example I was thinking of this morning was actually a case where two lanes merged into one just down the road anyways, but I suppose it is still a risk.
Quote from: kphoger on April 03, 2025, 09:26:57 AMI play guitar in Drop-D tuning so much more than standard tuning, that now I sometimes play incorrectly in standard tuning. (I don't play lead, just chord shapes.)
By the way, it's also so common for me to use a capo and just transpose the chords in my head, that it's now actually hard for me sometimes to play the correct chord shapes without a capo. When I'm playing without a capo and see a B♭ chord written, my brain will now occasionally interpret that as 'G chord, capo 3', and so my hand will make the shape of a G chord instead.
Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2025, 09:27:32 AMQuote from: 1995hoo on April 03, 2025, 08:55:11 AMQuoteWhen approaching a red light and there's a line of cars in one lane, but the other lane is open: timing my approach to hit the intersection just as the light is turning green and zooming past the line of stopped traffic without so much as tapping the brakes, and then being like a quarter mile down the road before the line of traffic even gets up to speed :nod:
My only concern about doing that is the risk that someone in the stopped lane will wake up and abruptly change lanes without looking. Especially given how some people leave massive gaps between cars.
That's fair enough. The example I was thinking of this morning was actually a case where two lanes merged into one just down the road anyways, but I suppose it is still a risk.
Don't get me wrong. I would certainly use the open lane to pass the stopped cars. I just might not zoom past without slowing down.
On Tuesday I saw someone change lanes into a lane of stopped traffic because his lane was going to become left-turn-only. His offense? He pulled into the middle of an intersection to do it, taking advantage of other people who did the right thing by not blocking the box (and resulting in his blocking it).
When I've underestimated a public figure (music, literature, sports, etc.) and they do something interesting or impressive, and I'm happy to be proven wrong about them.
Example: Willow Smith (daughter of Will Smith, we all remember "I whip my hair back and forth")... releases a song in 7/4 time with neat chord changes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQtVSNmYCNg
Quote from: kurumi on April 03, 2025, 12:13:34 PMWhen I've underestimated a public figure (music, literature, sports, etc.) and they do something interesting or impressive, and I'm happy to be proven wrong about them.
Example: Willow Smith (daughter of Will Smith, we all remember "I whip my hair back and forth")... releases a song in 7/4 time with neat chord changes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQtVSNmYCNg
Along the same lines, Rebecca Black of "Friday" infamy is making some pretty good dance-pop songs now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLBPrAJf52E&rco=1
Quote from: TheCatalyst31 on April 04, 2025, 12:05:41 AMQuote from: kurumi on April 03, 2025, 12:13:34 PMWhen I've underestimated a public figure (music, literature, sports, etc.) and they do something interesting or impressive, and I'm happy to be proven wrong about them.
Example: Willow Smith (daughter of Will Smith, we all remember "I whip my hair back and forth")... releases a song in 7/4 time with neat chord changes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQtVSNmYCNg
Along the same lines, Rebecca Black of "Friday" infamy is making some pretty good dance-pop songs now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLBPrAJf52E&rco=1
I'm glad she's managed to make a career for herself.
Quote from: kernals12 on March 27, 2025, 11:48:57 AMThe way my cat always needs to be in the same room as me.
(https://i.imgur.com/Gm8v1UN.jpeg)
Except when it is all four dogs who all want something different from you. I have two that want to play, one wants cuddle and another who wants to be petted.
I saw a bald eagle today. It was perched about 50 feet up a tree at Greenlake in Seattle.
Quote from: kkt on April 05, 2025, 01:08:18 AMI saw a bald eagle today. It was perched about 50 feet up a tree at Greenlake in Seattle.
Did you give it some Minoxidil?
Quote from: kkt on April 05, 2025, 01:08:18 AMI saw a bald eagle today. It was perched about 50 feet up a tree at Greenlake in Seattle.
We have a few bald eagles that live within a few miles of our place. On rare days they're visible overhead at our house.
Quote from: vdeane on March 29, 2025, 09:46:16 PMCampbell's appears to have discontinued the 15 oz microwavable Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup. It's a shame - it was tastier than the regular Chicken Noodle Soup, and presumably more nutritious, since it actually had vegetables. Given the relative amounts on the grocery store shelves, it was the better selling variety too. Why would they discontinue the better one?
Quoting this here because I just did grocery shopping yesterday and it was back as if it never left - even though I could have sworn that the space had been reallocated between the different soup types and the price tag on the shelf gone. I feel like I'm going crazy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/business/tesla-sales-elon-musk.html
Tesla's US sales are down 9% over the same time last year even as EV sales overall are up 11%
Quote from: kernals12 on April 11, 2025, 12:00:54 PMhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/business/tesla-sales-elon-musk.html
Tesla's US sales are down 9% over the same time last year even as EV sales overall are up 11%
More like minor things that please you (or me rather).
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 11, 2025, 12:47:32 PMQuote from: kernals12 on April 11, 2025, 12:00:54 PMhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/business/tesla-sales-elon-musk.html
Tesla's US sales are down 9% over the same time last year even as EV sales overall are up 11%
More like minor things that please you (or me rather).
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xECUrlnXCqk/mqdefault.jpg)
That's the thread.
Quote from: Molandfreak on April 11, 2025, 02:19:54 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on April 11, 2025, 12:47:32 PMQuote from: kernals12 on April 11, 2025, 12:00:54 PMhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/business/tesla-sales-elon-musk.html
Tesla's US sales are down 9% over the same time last year even as EV sales overall are up 11%
More like minor things that please you (or me rather).
(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/593186617856118784/LG1KN-Q4_400x400.png)
That's the thread.
Yeah misread which thread on my out the door on my way to Sacramento. Glad we are all in agreement.
Augusta National's cell phone ban is pleasing me. Why? My brother will be there tomorrow for the final round of the Masters. Someone GAVE him a pass. So I know very well he is longing to send constant updates bragging about where he is. But he won't be able to do that because no mobile phones are permitted on the property.
(https://thetastetrade.com/cdn/shop/files/Coca-Cola-Freestyle-HFCS-Sweetener-Soda-Syrup-Bag-in-Box-BiB-5-gallon-wm_4a1d3fc7-ef0c-471f-8b45-f90e78cf9c9a.jpg?v=1736115594)
From the theme of pop in the "bothers you" thread, one of the things I miss about working for a movie theatre is punching out the perforations on these boxes.
Quote from: Molandfreak on April 14, 2025, 10:56:07 AM(https://thetastetrade.com/cdn/shop/files/Coca-Cola-Freestyle-HFCS-Sweetener-Soda-Syrup-Bag-in-Box-BiB-5-gallon-wm_4a1d3fc7-ef0c-471f-8b45-f90e78cf9c9a.jpg?v=1736115594)
From the theme of pop in the "bothers you" thread, one of the things I miss about working for a movie theatre is punching out the perforations on these boxes.
Those are a pain in the ass just because you can't use a big knife for fear of puncturing the bag.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on April 14, 2025, 11:40:20 AMThose are a pain in the ass just because you can't use a big knife for fear of puncturing the bag.
Bad memories of the Target food court, slipping and sliding on a greasy floor while trying to slide that heavy BiB of syrup into a slot that it barely fit into...
Quote from: kphoger on April 14, 2025, 11:48:17 AMQuote from: JayhawkCO on April 14, 2025, 11:40:20 AMThose are a pain in the ass just because you can't use a big knife for fear of puncturing the bag.
Bad memories of the Target food court, slipping and sliding on a greasy floor while trying to slide that heavy BiB of syrup into a slot that it barely fit into...
The ketchup ones are the worst, since not only do you have to punch out the little circle, and then somehow wiggle the spout into the opening left behind and secure it in place with the non-removable perforated cardboard flap, but then every time you pour ketchup into a different receptacle, you get ketchup all over the box below the spout.
(For those that can't visualize, it's similar to the setup of the little spout on Bota Box boxed wine, except imagine that the wine constantly soaks the carboard below the spout.)
Danbury, CT used to have a Lowes home improvement and a Loews theater in the same shopping center. That funny situation ended when the fuddy duddies at AMC bought Loews and rebranded.
For an overlapping period in the 1940s, General Motors and General Electric both had presidents named Charles E Wilson. To avoid confusion, they were nicknamed Engine Charlie and Electric Charlie.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on April 14, 2025, 11:56:12 AMQuote from: kphoger on April 14, 2025, 11:48:17 AMQuote from: JayhawkCO on April 14, 2025, 11:40:20 AMThose are a pain in the ass just because you can't use a big knife for fear of puncturing the bag.
Bad memories of the Target food court, slipping and sliding on a greasy floor while trying to slide that heavy BiB of syrup into a slot that it barely fit into...
The ketchup ones are the worst, since not only do you have to punch out the little circle, and then somehow wiggle the spout into the opening left behind and secure it in place with the non-removable perforated cardboard flap, but then every time you pour ketchup into a different receptacle, you get ketchup all over the box below the spout.
(For those that can't visualize, it's similar to the setup of the little spout on Bota Box boxed wine, except imagine that the wine constantly soaks the carboard below the spout.)
At Burger King we took the bag out of the box and put it in a plastic thing on the wall with a slot in it to hold the spout. (We had one for mustard too.)
Quote from: kernals12 on April 14, 2025, 03:44:52 PMFor an overlapping period in the 1940s, General Motors and General Electric both had presidents named Charles E Wilson. To avoid confusion, they were nicknamed Engine Charlie and Electric Charlie.
It ended up not happening, but there was a time where it looked like both of Alaska's U.S. Senators could be named Dan Sullivan.
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 14, 2025, 11:02:24 PMQuote from: kernals12 on April 14, 2025, 03:44:52 PMFor an overlapping period in the 1940s, General Motors and General Electric both had presidents named Charles E Wilson. To avoid confusion, they were nicknamed Engine Charlie and Electric Charlie.
It ended up not happening, but there was a time where it looked like both of Alaska's U.S. Senators could be named Dan Sullivan.
" Senior Senator" and "Junior Senator".
Quote from: Scott5114 on April 14, 2025, 11:02:24 PMQuote from: kernals12 on April 14, 2025, 03:44:52 PMFor an overlapping period in the 1940s, General Motors and General Electric both had presidents named Charles E Wilson. To avoid confusion, they were nicknamed Engine Charlie and Electric Charlie.
It ended up not happening, but there was a time where it looked like both of Alaska's U.S. Senators could be named Dan Sullivan.
The first two women to serve in the Florida state senate were both named Beth Johnson.
Quote from: kernals12 on April 15, 2025, 03:40:35 AMQuote from: Scott5114 on April 14, 2025, 11:02:24 PMQuote from: kernals12 on April 14, 2025, 03:44:52 PMFor an overlapping period in the 1940s, General Motors and General Electric both had presidents named Charles E Wilson. To avoid confusion, they were nicknamed Engine Charlie and Electric Charlie.
It ended up not happening, but there was a time where it looked like both of Alaska's U.S. Senators could be named Dan Sullivan.
The first two women to serve in the Florida state senate were both named Beth Johnson.
It's not quite the same, but it reminds me of Ronald Reagan having a Cabinet secretary (and later chief of staff) named Donald Regan.
My law school class had two students with the same first and last names. OK, just use their middle initials when necessary to distinguish, right? Except they both had the same middle initials, but not the same middle names, so it was a rare situation where there was a reason why everyone had to know those two guys' full names.
I always thought it would have been funny if the Sebastian Aho who formerly played for the New York Islanders (he now plays for Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate) had been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he would have been a teammate of Sebastian Aho. The former player is Swedish, the latter is Finnish, but neither one uses any diacritics in his name that might help distinguish.
(A potentially similar situation would have arisen with the Washington Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom, a Swedish center, and the now-retired Finnish goalie Niklas Backstrom, who played primarily for the Minnesota Wild. Neither of them uses them on his NHL sweater, but in their native languages their last names both have umlauts over the "a" and the "o." Either way, the Aho situation would have been more striking because the spellings are identical, unlike with the Backstroms' first names.)
Quote from: 1995hoo on April 16, 2025, 10:16:55 AMMy law school class had two students with the same first and last names. OK, just use their middle initials when necessary to distinguish, right? Except they both had the same middle initials, but not the same middle names, so it was a rare situation where there was a reason why everyone had to know those two guys' full names.
I always thought it would have been funny if the Sebastian Aho who formerly played for the New York Islanders (he now plays for Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate) had been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he would have been a teammate of Sebastian Aho. The former player is Swedish, the latter is Finnish, but neither one uses any diacritics in his name that might help distinguish.
(A potentially similar situation would have arisen with the Washington Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom, a Swedish center, and the now-retired Finnish goalie Niklas Backstrom, who played primarily for the Minnesota Wild. Neither of them uses them on his NHL sweater, but in their native languages their last names both have umlauts over the "a" and the "o." Either way, the Aho situation would have been more striking because the spellings are identical, unlike with the Backstroms' first names.)
A similar situation in the baseball world a few decades ago when in spring training the Baltimore Orioles had two pitchers named Mike Smith - both with the same middle name as well. They were distinguished by using their home state as a nickname - "Mississippi Mike" and "Texas Mike".
Also there were two unrelated baseball players named Steve Ontiveros - an uncommon name.
When you're in a driveway trying to enter a busy street and one specific motorist let's you out into traffic.
Certain scents, such as...
wet terracotta
juniper berries
sawdust
petrichor
smoked paprika
many more...
The way that gas stations explode in Just Cause 3
My standard order at my local pizza shop totals $X.51. It pleases me when I get the friendly cashier that gives me $X.50 change instead of $X.49, because she understands that simplifying the transaction and handling fewer coins is worth way more than the penny for both of us.
Today that trivial gesture pleased me so much that I put both quarters right in the tip container.
Quote from: webny99 on April 23, 2025, 03:23:07 PMMy standard order at my local pizza shop totals $X.51. It pleases me when I get the friendly cashier that gives me $X.50 change instead of $X.49, because she understands that simplifying the transaction and handling fewer coins is worth way more than the penny for both of us.
Today that trivial gesture pleased me so much that I put both quarters right in the tip container.
One of my favorite haunts here in downtown Appleton, WI also normally gives a discount for using cash (no 'swipe' fees charged to the merchant) and rounds the change up to the nickle (no 'pennies', AKA 'monetary lint').
Mike
I know of two that round down to the nearest 50 cents when paying cash in addition to no credit card fee.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on April 14, 2025, 11:40:20 AMQuote from: Molandfreak on April 14, 2025, 10:56:07 AM(https://thetastetrade.com/cdn/shop/files/Coca-Cola-Freestyle-HFCS-Sweetener-Soda-Syrup-Bag-in-Box-BiB-5-gallon-wm_4a1d3fc7-ef0c-471f-8b45-f90e78cf9c9a.jpg?v=1736115594)
From the theme of pop in the "bothers you" thread, one of the things I miss about working for a movie theatre is punching out the perforations on these boxes.
Those are a pain in the ass just because you can't use a big knife for fear of puncturing the bag.
On a similar note, quickly folding down a taped or glued cardboard box with your bare hands – sans cutter – is always satisfying.
Quote from: formulanone on April 26, 2025, 02:21:11 PMQuote from: JayhawkCO on April 14, 2025, 11:40:20 AMQuote from: Molandfreak on April 14, 2025, 10:56:07 AM(https://thetastetrade.com/cdn/shop/files/Coca-Cola-Freestyle-HFCS-Sweetener-Soda-Syrup-Bag-in-Box-BiB-5-gallon-wm_4a1d3fc7-ef0c-471f-8b45-f90e78cf9c9a.jpg?v=1736115594)
From the theme of pop in the "bothers you" thread, one of the things I miss about working for a movie theatre is punching out the perforations on these boxes.
Those are a pain in the ass just because you can't use a big knife for fear of puncturing the bag.
On a similar note, quickly folding down a taped or glued cardboard box with your bare hands – sans cutter – is always satisfying.
Just gotta know where to quickly put one's fist.
:cool:
Mike
Political posts not within the forum's remit have been removed.
Reading my vintage issues of Consumer Reports.
They sure did love the Ford Panther Body cars and W Body cars from GM.
My coffee tasted really good this morning.
I'm not "Max", so don't run a ton, most of the time just a couple miles at a time, and the most I'd ever run in one shot was a 5k. But yesterday I went out for a run, decided to drop my pace just a little bit and ended up running five miles without stopping, and probably could have kept going if not for a hot spot/blister that I felt forming. A good sign for my upcoming climb.
Speaking of 5Ks, someone at work this week was wearing a shirt from the event (a 5k mud run) I finished first in three years ago.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on April 27, 2025, 10:13:24 AMThey sure did love the Ford Panther Body cars and W Body cars from GM.
Awkwardly, they loved GM's front drive x-bodies.
Deglazing a pan with a splash of wine. There's nothing more satisfying in the kitchen than being able to easily scrape up all that fond, or the smell that comes up from the sautéed garlic when it happens.
This response to PETA trying to run a "go vegan" protest at a BBQ restaurant in Bakersfield.
https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/california/bakersfield-barbecue-company-peta-protest/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR4Iph2vHd0kK1LBxqGoQ2HkQ-Jk2_CDLRb0jS55a3_A8ZhKsA5TA10s8F0J2w_aem_yvsdGVXfql0aUeECT7S3Ww
Customer service is not totally dead!
On Friday we had ordered a medication for our cat and we used the pharmacy the vet recommended. As you may have seen in another thread, her condition declined very quickly over the weekend and we wound up having her put down on Tuesday morning. Once we had made that decision, we called the pharmacy to ask whether it was too late to cancel the order because we could no longer use it. They said they had already compounded and packed it for shipping. But—and this is what really surprised me—they said they would refund our money and we could just donate the medication to the vet's office (who confirmed they will accept it). The credit hit my card this morning. So I will certainly remember that and it's a reason to use that pharmacy in the future.
Quote from: 1995hoo on May 07, 2025, 04:38:41 PMCustomer service is not totally dead!
On Friday we had ordered a medication for our cat and we used the pharmacy the vet recommended. As you may have seen in another thread, her condition declined very quickly over the weekend and we wound up having her put down on Tuesday morning. Once we had made that decision, we called the pharmacy to ask whether it was too late to cancel the order because we could no longer use it. They said they had already compounded and packed it for shipping. But—and this is what really surprised me—they said they would refund our money and we could just donate the medication to the vet's office (who confirmed they will accept it). The credit hit my card this morning. So I will certainly remember that and it's a reason to use that pharmacy in the future.
Chewy is good like that too. Our previous cat had some health problems and the vet gave us three cans of special food to sample to see if the cat would like it. We gave him one, he ate it up no problem so I ordered a couple of cases from Chewy. Then the next day, when I gave him the food, he wouldn't touch it. I reached out to Chewy to see if I could cancel, and instead they just refunded me and told me to donate.
The vet's office sent us a really nice sympathy card signed by everyone there with longer notes from the doctors with whom we dealt the most often. Really nice gesture, although it also had us both bawling our eyes out before I started making dinner.
I'll post the video after I've gotten a chance to sleep, but yesterday I finally got to hear a Thunderbolt 1000 siren in service sounding off for a test! Even better, it was set on terminal/chopper level 1, which definitely ain't very common to see on Thunderbolt sirens like this. (Photo below is of the siren I recorded.)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54537131489_700e557f3f_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2r6g49v)
Thunderbolt 1000 Siren, Memphis, TN (https://flic.kr/p/2r6g49v) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
Quote from: freebrickproductions on May 22, 2025, 04:02:55 AMI'll post the video after I've gotten a chance to sleep, but yesterday I finally got to hear a Thunderbolt 1000 siren in service sounding off for a test! Even better, it was set on terminal/chopper level 1, which definitely ain't very common to see on Thunderbolt sirens like this. (Photo below is of the siren I recorded.)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54537131489_700e557f3f_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2r6g49v)
Thunderbolt 1000 Siren, Memphis, TN (https://flic.kr/p/2r6g49v) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
The Federal T-1000 Thunderbolt (with the 4/5 impeller) sirens that were here in Appleton scared the bejeevers out of me when I was very young, but now I realize what a wonderful sound it was that they had. When they were wound up, THAT was a TORNADO WARNING! Their 'weak spot' was that they used roots blowers to maintain internal air flow and they were thus too expensive and complicated to maintain.
Mike
When I drop something, do that split-second attempt to catch it, and actually succeed! Makes me feel like a ninja or something.
Or when I drop something in the kitchen, and it lands messy-side up, no cleaning required.
Scrolling the radio and hitting a favorite song.
Silk's oatmeal cookie creamer!