Minor things that bother you

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I'm not, because if Freddie Mercury had actually sang the Pokemon TV theme song it would be a hundred times as awesome as anyone, including AI, could conceivably imagine.

But A.I. can do it without an ugly mustache.  So there's that.

I think this is how much AI has poisoned the well of society in a very short time, is that some kid's shitpost for giggles made with generative AI is treated with the same venom as greedy mega companies trying to pass off their AI music as real.

[J N Winkler]

Re. the earlier discussion of containers set out for trash pickup:

*  Trash cart is the term I use for the plastic bins (which come in standard sizes of 64 and 96 gallons) that are wheeled out to the curb for pickup.

*  Trash barrel refers to the cans (made of steel, aluminum, or plastic) that are intended primarily for outdoor use and have enough capacity to accommodate a 39-gallon trash sack.

*  Trash can is the plastic bin for kitchen trash, which holds 10-gallon liners.

*  AIUI, Dumpster is a (now genericized) trademark for a type of large garbage receptacle (of fairly stout construction, with lifting points) that is used to stage trash for collection at business premises.  The original Dumpster was the Dempster Dumpmaster.

There was also conversation about burning trash.  The standard argument against doing it for modern waste streams is production of dioxins and other highly toxic atmospheric pollutants.  However, Sweden has apparently committed to waste-to-energy technology to the point of importing trash from other countries to fuel incinerators.

[Max Rockatansky]

The "Herbie"?  Hey fellas, the "Herbie"!  Well, ooh la di da, Mr. French Man.

[JayhawkCO]

For me, anything you regularly throw your trash into at your house is a trash can, irrespective of size or material. Dumpsters are large and rectangular and used behind businesses or occasionally rented for the house when you move/remodel/etc.

[Scott5114]

I'm not, because if Freddie Mercury had actually sang the Pokemon TV theme song it would be a hundred times as awesome as anyone, including AI, could conceivably imagine.

But A.I. can do it without an ugly mustache.  So there's that.

I think this is how much AI has poisoned the well of society in a very short time, is that some kid's shitpost for giggles made with generative AI is treated with the same venom as greedy mega companies trying to pass off their AI music as real.

Oh, if I wanted to display actual venom here, you'd know. The thing is, though, AI is probability-based; that means it generates what is most likely to be the correct answer to the prompt. And Freddie Mercury had a reputation of pulling off some pretty unlikely performances. (Mustache or not.)

If someone had made a video of, I dunno, Nickleback singing the Pokemon theme song, I would have had nothing to say.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I'm not, because if Freddie Mercury had actually sang the Pokemon TV theme song it would be a hundred times as awesome as anyone, including AI, could conceivably imagine.

But A.I. can do it without an ugly mustache.  So there's that.

I think this is how much AI has poisoned the well of society in a very short time, is that some kid's shitpost for giggles made with generative AI is treated with the same venom as greedy mega companies trying to pass off their AI music as real.

Oh, if I wanted to display actual venom here, you'd know.

Sorry, meant generally speaking, not just you specifically.

[Scott5114]

When your low fuel light is on and you're on the way to the gas station, it seems like that is the time you get to see the most absolutely idiotic light timings your city engineers have ever managed to come up with.

[formulanone]

When your low fuel light is on and you're on the way to the gas station, it seems like that is the time you get to see the most absolutely idiotic light timings your city engineers have ever managed to come up with.

Eh, for most vehicles you have at least a gallon or so of fuel. Our van's warning light turns on at 2.5 gallons remaining (presumably, 10 liters). But there's no specific rule for when it goes on.

If your gauge is unreliable or broken, then you're screwed unless you carefully monitor your trip mileage with each tank.

[kphoger]

When your low fuel light is on and you're on the way to the gas station, it seems like that is the time you get to see the most absolutely idiotic light timings your city engineers have ever managed to come up with.

I once had to drive across town with a big hole in the radiator spewing coolant all over the engine bay.  On the highway it wasn't so bad, because of the air flow while driving, but watching that temp needle creep up while waiting for a green light on a surface street... 

[Scott5114]

When your low fuel light is on and you're on the way to the gas station, it seems like that is the time you get to see the most absolutely idiotic light timings your city engineers have ever managed to come up with.

Eh, for most vehicles you have at least a gallon or so of fuel. Our van's warning light turns on at 2.5 gallons remaining (presumably, 10 liters). But there's no specific rule for when it goes on.

If your gauge is unreliable or broken, then you're screwed unless you carefully monitor your trip mileage with each tank.

Oh, I know; it helps that I usually have the estimated range in miles displayed on the trip computer (a lovely red dot matrix VFD I should probably try to salvage from the car whenever it gets retired from service) and remember it being 76 miles before it went over to "Low Fuel". When I finally got to the gas station, it took 13.698 gallons ($63! which is why I let it get so low) so I still had a quart and change left.

But this is why it's a minor thing that bothers me. I know logically I can probably drag my ass down to Arco, and if I was really worried I also had multiple chances to pay the Terrible price. But dang if it wasn't nervewracking to have yesterday apparently be the city-wide "give empty left-turn bays timed protected lefts" festival.

[vdeane]

The fact that the new trend in the Daily Question thread is to post the question in the form of a quote.  My brain tunes out quotes unless the post calls attention to them, especially in that thread, so it tends to throw me through a loop.

[Max Rockatansky]

The fact that the new trend in the Daily Question thread is to post the question in the form of a quote.  My brain tunes out quotes unless the post calls attention to them, especially in that thread, so it tends to throw me through a loop.

It is easier to dissect that format on my computer than it is on my phone.  I got annoyed yesterday trying to format the 4/20 post and gave up. 

[kphoger]

The fact that the new trend in the Daily Question thread is to post the question in the form of a quote.  My brain tunes out quotes unless the post calls attention to them, especially in that thread, so it tends to throw me through a loop.

hotdogPi started it.  Someone needs to tell him he's not number 1 anymore so he can't just do whatever he wants.

[kkt]

Paper bills that include a payment coupon to tear off and a return envelope to send it in along with a check, in which the payment coupon does NOT FIT in the envelope that THEY provide, so I must trim 1/8" off the payment coupon to make it fit.

[gonealookin]

Paper bills that include a payment coupon to tear off and a return envelope to send it in along with a check, in which the payment coupon does NOT FIT in the envelope that THEY provide, so I must trim 1/8" off the payment coupon to make it fit.

My counter to that would be:  Businesses that still don't offer a paperless online bill pay option in 2026, and insist that I pay an additional 78-cent fee to USPS in order to pay their bill.

The only one of those I do business with regularly is the dentist.  Everybody else seems to have some paperless payment option now, at least Venmo or something.

[1995hoo]

Paper bills that include a payment coupon to tear off and a return envelope to send it in along with a check, in which the payment coupon does NOT FIT in the envelope that THEY provide, so I must trim 1/8" off the payment coupon to make it fit.

My counter to that would be:  Businesses that still don't offer a paperless online bill pay option in 2026, and insist that I pay an additional 78-cent fee to USPS in order to pay their bill.

The only one of those I do business with regularly is the dentist.  Everybody else seems to have some paperless payment option now, at least Venmo or something.

Why can't you just use your bank's online bill payment anyway? If a company isn't set up to receive electronic bill payments, my bank cuts a check and mails it (and doesn't charge me for the postage). I've even used the online bill payment to send money to individuals on occasion, although the time I used it to pay my father he claimed not to have received it. Turned out he thought the check was fake because of its unfamiliar appearance compared to one I wrote out by hand.

[The_Ginger]

The fact that the new trend in the Daily Question thread is to post the question in the form of a quote.  My brain tunes out quotes unless the post calls attention to them, especially in that thread, so it tends to throw me through a loop.

hotdogPi started it.  Someone needs to tell him he's not number 1 anymore so he can't just do whatever he wants.

I have done this, but respectfully requested it instead of what you suggested.

[gonealookin]

Paper bills that include a payment coupon to tear off and a return envelope to send it in along with a check, in which the payment coupon does NOT FIT in the envelope that THEY provide, so I must trim 1/8" off the payment coupon to make it fit.

My counter to that would be:  Businesses that still don't offer a paperless online bill pay option in 2026, and insist that I pay an additional 78-cent fee to USPS in order to pay their bill.

The only one of those I do business with regularly is the dentist.  Everybody else seems to have some paperless payment option now, at least Venmo or something.

Why can't you just use your bank's online bill payment anyway? If a company isn't set up to receive electronic bill payments, my bank cuts a check and mails it (and doesn't charge me for the postage). I've even used the online bill payment to send money to individuals on occasion, although the time I used it to pay my father he claimed not to have received it. Turned out he thought the check was fake because of its unfamiliar appearance compared to one I wrote out by hand.

This is a good point.  I pay the dentist out of the Health Savings Account, which is separate from the regular checking account whose bill pay I use all the time.  I thought payments out of the HSA had to be made either by paper check or the debit card; didn't think I could have them mail a check to the dentist.  Upon looking at the account I see that option is in fact available and I just didn't have it set up.  Thanks to 1995hoo for getting rid of a Minor Thing That Formerly Bothered Me.

[kphoger]

hotdogPi started it.  Someone needs to tell him he's not number 1 anymore so he can't just do whatever he wants.

I have done this, but respectfully requested it instead of what you suggested.

You probably missed my pun.  1 is hotdogPi's former screen name.

[vdeane]

My washing machine does not have a way to just drain the inside of water, only a "drain and spin" cycle for 17 minutes.  So now that it's filling up with water even when not on, I have to waste 17 minutes on spinning that I don't need when all I want to do is drain the accumulated water.

I'm trying a "keep the water valves manually shut off when not in use" plan for now because I really don't trust maintenance/management to not leave me without in-unit laundry for weeks/months or just hand me a key to the shared laundry room and call it "case closed".  Especially since the only way to get at the intake valves is to disassemble my entire laundry setup, as they stacked the machines.  They're dreadfully slow even with essential repairs like water leaks and whatnot (I have neighbors that have gone at least close to two weeks with no hot water - if they're willing to sit for 11+ days on something that's required by law, then my issue stands no chance).  But the machine is also taking longer to finish a load and leaving suds on the door, so I don't know how long I can go without calling in for repairs.

I'm honestly thinking I need to move sooner rather than later (never mind the 13 months left on my lease), but I can't help but think of everything I'd be giving up.  I look at the way I do things now (and I'm pretty set in my ways) and notice how it's basically impossible to maintain literally anywhere else.  For how picky I am, I'm starting to think I'm going to need to become a homeowner even though I want nothing to do with yard work or maintenance (the time sink and inconvenience alone is terrifying, not to mention hat being a homeowner is really, really expensive - both mortgage and upkeep).

[kkt]

My washing machine does not have a way to just drain the inside of water, only a "drain and spin" cycle for 17 minutes.  So now that it's filling up with water even when not on, I have to waste 17 minutes on spinning that I don't need when all I want to do is drain the accumulated water.

I'm trying a "keep the water valves manually shut off when not in use" plan for now because I really don't trust maintenance/management to not leave me without in-unit laundry for weeks/months or just hand me a key to the shared laundry room and call it "case closed".  Especially since the only way to get at the intake valves is to disassemble my entire laundry setup, as they stacked the machines.  They're dreadfully slow even with essential repairs like water leaks and whatnot (I have neighbors that have gone at least close to two weeks with no hot water - if they're willing to sit for 11+ days on something that's required by law, then my issue stands no chance).  But the machine is also taking longer to finish a load and leaving suds on the door, so I don't know how long I can go without calling in for repairs.

I'm honestly thinking I need to move sooner rather than later (never mind the 13 months left on my lease), but I can't help but think of everything I'd be giving up.  I look at the way I do things now (and I'm pretty set in my ways) and notice how it's basically impossible to maintain literally anywhere else.  For how picky I am, I'm starting to think I'm going to need to become a homeowner even though I want nothing to do with yard work or maintenance (the time sink and inconvenience alone is terrifying, not to mention hat being a homeowner is really, really expensive - both mortgage and upkeep).

This is a major thing.

[ZLoth]

One of the nuts that I haven't cracked is keeping my mother on time for appointments. Right now, she has a run of appointments including a twice-weekly physical therapy appointments and a weekly hair appointment. Since I'm her driver and she is forgetful, it's my job to keep her on time. Mind you, it is my parents who taught me to be considerate of other's people's time and to be punctual for appointments.

Guess who is the queen of procrastination?

Now, I realize that my mother, who is turning 85 next month, is going to take longer to get ready. That's why I pad extra time in my reminders and exaggerate the start time because I know she will not go out unless she soaks in the bathtub and has her cigarettes. And, she gets snappy when I reminder her. At 9:30 AM, I tell my mother that she needs to take a bath in about an hour, as she has an physical therapy (PT) appointment this afternoon at 1 PM. She tells me to leave her alone, never mind that I left her alone all day yesterday (Wednesday), and she bailed out of her appointment on Tuesday, and there was no appointment on Monday. One hour later, I go back to her saying lets take a bath now for her PT appointment. She says she doesn't want to go to PT, and that I go to PT. I manage to get her up and to her room. She is telling my lucky cat to "bite him. Bite him in the butt.", then insists on laying in med. One half-hour later, and she wants coffee. And, she still hasn't taken a bath. She resents the words, "hurry up" and "we have to LEAVE !!!NOW!!!", and intentionally slows down.

Of course, this is the same person who I can take over to Macys, Marshalls, Dillards, or other stores and can easy spend two hours browsing while I sit in the car with a non-alcoholic drink and listening to an audiobook.

I know why this is occurring. I know that I took away her "freedom" when I told her she could not drive. I also handle her appointments, and trying my level best to schedule her appointments for the afternoons. Heaven help me if there is a 7 AM appointment. And, I really don't want to get into an argument. What can I do?

Also, should I mention that my mother loves to play the "I'm still your mother" card?

[vdeane]

My washing machine does not have a way to just drain the inside of water, only a "drain and spin" cycle for 17 minutes.  So now that it's filling up with water even when not on, I have to waste 17 minutes on spinning that I don't need when all I want to do is drain the accumulated water.

I'm trying a "keep the water valves manually shut off when not in use" plan for now because I really don't trust maintenance/management to not leave me without in-unit laundry for weeks/months or just hand me a key to the shared laundry room and call it "case closed".  Especially since the only way to get at the intake valves is to disassemble my entire laundry setup, as they stacked the machines.  They're dreadfully slow even with essential repairs like water leaks and whatnot (I have neighbors that have gone at least close to two weeks with no hot water - if they're willing to sit for 11+ days on something that's required by law, then my issue stands no chance).  But the machine is also taking longer to finish a load and leaving suds on the door, so I don't know how long I can go without calling in for repairs.

I'm honestly thinking I need to move sooner rather than later (never mind the 13 months left on my lease), but I can't help but think of everything I'd be giving up.  I look at the way I do things now (and I'm pretty set in my ways) and notice how it's basically impossible to maintain literally anywhere else.  For how picky I am, I'm starting to think I'm going to need to become a homeowner even though I want nothing to do with yard work or maintenance (the time sink and inconvenience alone is terrifying, not to mention hat being a homeowner is really, really expensive - both mortgage and upkeep).

This is a major thing.

I think my plan was to start writing about the "drain and spin" thing and then I just kept going.  But yeah, yet another maintenance saga in an apartment that seems to always have something wrong with it.  I wish I could have the management and maintenance people I had when I first moved in; the complex was great then.  But it slowly went down hill after a new assistant property manager drove off the original maintenance team (so she could make a nepo hire who wasn't as competent), and then quickly hit rock bottom when the landlord retired and sold the place to a corporate slum lord.

[kphoger]

I'm honestly thinking I need to move sooner rather than later (never mind the 13 months left on my lease), but I can't help but think of everything I'd be giving up.  I look at the way I do things now (and I'm pretty set in my ways) and notice how it's basically impossible to maintain literally anywhere else.

Why would no other apartment complex work out for you?  Such as Sunrise Solar Apartments, for example?

[gonealookin]

I know that I took away her "freedom" when I told her she could not drive. I also handle her appointments...  What can I do?

Sounds like a big part of the problem is your own decision to micromanage her life.  I would consider restoring her right to drive, responsibility for attending her appointments, and driving herself to Macys where she can take all the time she wants.

If she's really unable to drive and isn't responsible enough to make appointments, it would be about time to put her in an old folks home and pay them to deal with the crap.