Minor things that bother you

[Molandfreak]

If a film distributor cancels a project and claims a tax write off, they should be forced to release all existing footage to the public domain rather than be granted the right to destroy all of the footage and ensure none of the public is able to see it.

I like the spirit, but you'd have to tie it to something other than tax write-offs, since contrary to popular belief "write-offs" aren't really any sort of special perk in most cases, it's just deducting expenses from revenue. Theoretically if McDonald's overcooks a burger and throws it away instead of serving it, they are claiming a tax write off to destroy something rather than release it to the public.

At least in the case of the overcooked burger, it is thrown away with the consent of the person who made it to begin with. If a movie or television series is either scrapped or otherwise taken off the market in such a way that renders it unwatchable without pirating, that is done without consent from the directors, producers, actors, or any other contributing artists who were collaborating with the assumption that their work would be available in perpetuity.

[Scott5114]

If a film distributor cancels a project and claims a tax write off, they should be forced to release all existing footage to the public domain rather than be granted the right to destroy all of the footage and ensure none of the public is able to see it.

I like the spirit, but you'd have to tie it to something other than tax write-offs, since contrary to popular belief "write-offs" aren't really any sort of special perk in most cases, it's just deducting expenses from revenue. Theoretically if McDonald's overcooks a burger and throws it away instead of serving it, they are claiming a tax write off to destroy something rather than release it to the public.

At least in the case of the overcooked burger, it is thrown away with the consent of the person who made it to begin with. If a movie or television series is either scrapped or otherwise taken off the market in such a way that renders it unwatchable without pirating, that is done without consent from the directors, producers, actors, or any other contributing artists who were collaborating with the assumption that their work would be available in perpetuity.

Well, the problem here is that all of those people were presumably paid for their work, which makes their efforts a work for hire, and thus the IP rights belong to whoever was paying them. Which, 99% of the time, is the correct way for things to work (if my boss pays me to draw something for his commercial use, it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense for me to be able to take the money and then claw the work back from him after I quit or use it to make additional money on the side). The law doesn't really contemplate a creative's desire to make their work available in perpetuity because, among other reasons, that assumption isn't necessarily universal (I can't imagine that most of the set designers for the Carrot Top movie viewed it as anything other than another day another paycheck, for instance).

I do think that there needs to be something done to reduce the perverse incentives to engage in this kind of behavior and/or to bolster creatives' rights, but it's important to recognize that doing this will necessarily upset a lot of legal doctrines which work just fine for other types of industries. After all, if you're not careful you could make things worse (among other things, the work for hire doctrine means that anyone paid by the federal government has their work released into the public domain, so it's entirely possible that giving creatives greater rights could result in less public-domain work rather than more).

(Also, I seem to recall at least one occasion as a fast food manager where I ordered a sandwich thrown out against a cook's wishes. Don't remember the details, though.)

[Beltway]

H₂O = Life
H₂O₂ = Death

H₂O₂ = rocket fuel oxidizer

Johnny was a boy
But Johnny is a boy no more
For what he thought was H₂O
Was H₂SO₄

[bugo]

When I was a kid there was an outfit selling bottled water with an Oklahoma state outline on the label, branded H₂OK. The same outfit also sold college-themed variants called H₂OU and H₂OSU. Even as a kid I used to wonder why nobody seemed to have a problem with bottled water that purported to contain uranium.

This is completely off-topic, but it reminded about back in the late 1970s, I lived in Mena, Arkansas and my grandfather was the minister at the Church of Christ in Heavener, Oklahoma. Every Sunday, we would make the drive, which was about an hour with the 55 MPH speed limit of the time. At the time, the Oklahoma welcome sign looked like the one in this image. When we got to the state line and I saw the picture, I excitedly said "That say Homahoma!" I couldn't pronounce "Oklahoma".



I was a really smart kid (I don't know what happened), and I could read before I was 2 years old. I always insisted that I read the newspaper before anybody else did, and I read phone books for fun. I was weird. I would point at words and say "This say" before saying the word. My reading was better than my grammar at the time.

[bugo]

H₂O = Life
H₂O₂ = Death

I find it funny that the same scientifically ignorant clowns say things like "mArGaRiNe iS OnE AtOm fRoM pLaStIc!" (which is incorrect, but that is irrelevant here) but they never consider that water is one atom from hydrogen peroxide. I've never heard anybody say "Don't drink water! It's bad for you! It's only one atom from hydrogen peroxide, which will KILL YOU!" I should make a meme.

[formulanone]

Why does a bag of ice have a nutritional label?

Just in case someone markets H₂O Plus+; which has a trace of sugar, a hint of organic cinnamon, and microglobs of fat to give some extra zest to your cooler or artisanal craft parties. With reduced oxidation to the metal walls of your overpriced drink tumbler, why trust water that may have come from a municipal source or some simple liquid a fish might have swam in at some point?

Is that "aych too oh plus" or "aych too oh plus plus?"  It says the second, but I get the sense it's supposed to be the first.  It looks like it means "additional plus" or "plus extra," as in "more than plus" or "plus, but more."  This wordology and symbology, or wordosymbology, is overwhelming.

At some point I read of an extended warranty called Service+Plus and I've been waiting to unleash that branding annoyance ever since.

Sorry, the extended warranty does not cover damaged brain cells from my terrible posts.

[Molandfreak]

H₂O = Life
H₂O₂ = Death

I find it funny that the same scientifically ignorant clowns say things like "mArGaRiNe iS OnE AtOm fRoM pLaStIc!" (which is incorrect, but that is irrelevant here) but they never consider that water is one atom from hydrogen peroxide. I've never heard anybody say "Don't drink water! It's bad for you! It's only one atom from hydrogen peroxide, which will KILL YOU!" I should make a meme.

Dihydrogen monoxide is a dangerous chemical, yet it is used in many common products. It is colorless and odorless; it is malevolent yet omnipresent. Samples of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in every country on Earth.

It is a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide or methane. Dihydrogen monoxide has been found in nuclear power plants, pesticides, acid rain, cancerous tumors, and spoiled milk. Also, it has been found in the water supply of Flint, Michigan and the Flavor-Aid used in the Jonestown Massacre.

Dihydrogen monoxide contributes greatly to soil and beach erosion, and it is known to corrode large pipes. This chemical was shown to cause damage to large electrical appliances. Moreover, dihydrogen monoxide reacts violently with many metals.

It is the biggest component of chemtrails. It is used by athletes to enhance their performance, and it is used in cruel animal testing. It was used in Chinese and Spanish torture methods. Dihydrogen monoxide is added to or used in the production of foods, beverages, shampoo, styrofoam, cleaners, and many more products. The United States Navy uses dihydrogen monoxide to propel many vessels. It is sprayed on corn crops. Even though dihydrogen monoxide has been responsible for kidney failure, it continues to be used in dialysis.

Dihydrogen monoxide may cause severe burns in its gas or liquid states; in its solid state, it causes major tissue damage. Dihydrogen monoxide also prevents the uptake of oxygen by the lungs. Certain levels of dihydrogen monoxide in the water supply have been linked to cholera. This chemical may also cause electrolyte imbalances, which can impact the nervous system. Lower amounts of dihydrogen monoxide may cause frequent urination. According to the World Health Organization, accidental exposure to and inhalation of dihydrogen monoxide kills over 200000 people worldwide annually.

Every known serial killer, terrorist, and war criminal has taken dihydrogen monoxide. It was used in German and Japanese PoW camps during World War 2. It is still given to convicted felons. It was used in biological warfare.

In August 1994, McDonald's was sued for the usage of thermally agitated dihydrogen monoxide; the plaintiff won the case, yet it continues to be used in its drinks. In November 1998, a dihydrogen monoxide incident in Honduras killed over 10000 people. In December 2004, another dihydrogen monoxide incident in South Asia killed over 200000 people. In August 2005, another incident in Louisiana killed over 1000 people. In March 2011, another such incident in Japan killed over 19000 people and also caused a nuclear accident. In September 2017, another dihydrogen monoxide incident in Puerto Rico killed over 3000 people. In November 2020, there were numerous dihydrogen monoxide incidents across the United States East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean; one dihydrogen monoxide incident in Nicaragua killed over 100 people.

The public supports banning dihydrogen monoxide. In a 1997 survey, Nathan Zohner asked 50 people whether or not dihydrogen monoxide should be banned; 43 of them, or 86%, supported a ban. A member of the New Zealand Parliament tried banning dihydrogen monoxide, yet the bill never passed.

[Beltway]

Dihydrogen monoxide is a dangerous chemical, yet it is used in many common products. It is colorless and odorless; it is malevolent yet omnipresent. Samples of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in every country on Earth.

Dihydrogen monoxide is found on most of the planets and/or their moons.

Dihydrogen monoxide is found on the moons of Uranus, and it is -350 F, and at that temperature it is as hard as granite.

Most of Uranus's major moons -- Titania, Oberon, Ariel, Umbriel, and Miranda -- are composed largely of water ice mixed with rock, and their surfaces sit at incredibly low temperatures, roughly 350 to 360 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, which corresponds to about 60 to 70 Kelvin. In that environment, water doesn't behave like the familiar freezer ice on Earth. Instead, it becomes as hard as granite, extremely brittle, and capable of supporting cliffs, canyons, and tectonic‑style fractures. Planetary scientists often describe this as "rock‑hard ice" because, at those temperatures, frozen water takes on the mechanical strength and behavior of stone.

[CoreySamson]

A small little thing that has annoyed me this semester:

One of my university's perks is free laundry. The old washing machines we had were designed with coin payment in mind, but ORU decided to make it all free. This summer, ORU replaced all of the washing machines on campus. It seems that the washing machine supplier they sourced from stopped making machines with coin slots and have now completely shifted to electronic payment with an app for their washers. As a result, the new washing machines designed with an app for payment still require the app (and an account in the app!) to operate the washing machines, even though they are still free. Now I have to take my phone into the laundry room and connect it to the washing machine (which occasionally does not connect) in order to start my laundry.

Is it annoying? Yes. Would I tolerate it if it meant I still had free laundry? Also yes, so it's not that big of a deal.

Well in an ironic postscript to this story, after the app went down for one of the campus' girl dorms, now the app is not required to do laundry anymore!

However, there are two new issues, both related to my dorm floor's dryer. The first issue is that the door latch of the dryer door is broken (even though the dryer is less than a year old). Airflow suction from the vent keeps the door closed while the dryer is running somehow, but once it's done, the door opens and spills some of the clothes on the floor. The solution to this that my dorm mates have found is to turn the dryer 90 degrees so the door is out of the way in the bathroom and shove the bathroom trash can in front of the door to keep it closed. The unfortunate consequence of moving the dryer was that the dryer vent connecting the dryer to the wall was pulled off the dryer, causing the bathroom to smell strange and feel like a sauna while the dryer was running. The vent was recently reattached to the dryer via a ziptie, but it still comes off easily.

Not ideal, but it's an improvement over the issues my dorm bathroom had the last school year, such as the "poop bandit."

[bugo]

Not ideal, but it's an improvement over the issues my dorm bathroom had the last school year, such as the "poop bandit."

@bandit957: Were you at Oral Roberts University last year?

[mgk920]

And then the MSDS for that EVIL chemical! (such as "Will cause serious tissue damage if handled in solid form without proper protection.")

Mike

[Max Rockatansky]

And then the MSDS for that EVIL chemical! (such as "Will cause serious tissue damage if handled in solid form without proper protection.")

Mike

MSDS?  It has been a solid decade since I've seen an "active" MSDS in the field in lieu of Safety Data Sheets. 

[formulanone]

And then the MSDS for that EVIL chemical! (such as "Will cause serious tissue damage if handled in solid form without proper protection.")

Mike

MSDS?  It has been a solid decade since I've seen an "active" MSDS in the field in lieu of Safety Data Sheets. 

I thought that's what the "SDS" stands for in MSDS?

[Max Rockatansky]

And then the MSDS for that EVIL chemical! (such as "Will cause serious tissue damage if handled in solid form without proper protection.")

Mike

MSDS?  It has been a solid decade since I've seen an "active" MSDS in the field in lieu of Safety Data Sheets. 

I thought that's what the "SDS" stands for in MSDS?

There is a difference between the two, although I question how useful how either actually is.  In the U.S. the SDS was adopted as a replacement of MSDS in 2012.  The idea was that the SDS was simplified and complied with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Chemicals (GHS). 

Supposedly it is easier to reference critical information SDS sheet than it was with the MSDS.  I've found the reality tends to include if not all of the following:

-  Employees don't know what an SDS is despite training.
-  Nobody can find where the SDSs are located (usually in a binder) when they are needed. 
-  Normal employees still don't understand the information contained on an SDS.

[Rothman]

And then the MSDS for that EVIL chemical! (such as "Will cause serious tissue damage if handled in solid form without proper protection.")

Mike

MSDS?  It has been a solid decade since I've seen an "active" MSDS in the field in lieu of Safety Data Sheets. 

I thought that's what the "SDS" stands for in MSDS?

There is a difference between the two, although I question how useful how either actually is.  In the U.S. the SDS was adopted as a replacement of MSDS in 2012.  The idea was that the SDS was simplified and complied with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Chemicals (GHS). 

Supposedly it is easier to reference critical information SDS sheet than it was with the MSDS.  I've found the reality tends to include if not all of the following:

-  Employees don't know what an SDS is despite training.
-  Nobody can find where the SDSs are located (usually in a binder) when they are needed. 
-  Normal employees still don't understand the information contained on an SDS.

Eh, I'm a little more optimistic about that in my office.  Employees know what they are and know there's a binder of them in our HR office...

...but no one has ever had to consult the binder.

And I'm asked every year about what hazardous chemicals or explosives I have in my office by our version of HR...

[Max Rockatansky]

And then the MSDS for that EVIL chemical! (such as "Will cause serious tissue damage if handled in solid form without proper protection.")

Mike

MSDS?  It has been a solid decade since I've seen an "active" MSDS in the field in lieu of Safety Data Sheets. 

I thought that's what the "SDS" stands for in MSDS?

There is a difference between the two, although I question how useful how either actually is.  In the U.S. the SDS was adopted as a replacement of MSDS in 2012.  The idea was that the SDS was simplified and complied with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Chemicals (GHS). 

Supposedly it is easier to reference critical information SDS sheet than it was with the MSDS.  I've found the reality tends to include if not all of the following:

-  Employees don't know what an SDS is despite training.
-  Nobody can find where the SDSs are located (usually in a binder) when they are needed. 
-  Normal employees still don't understand the information contained on an SDS.

Eh, I'm a little more optimistic about that in my office.  Employees know what they are and know there's a binder of them in our HR office...

...but no one has ever had to consult the binder.

And I'm asked every year about what hazardous chemicals or explosives I have in my office by our version of HR...

Yes, I would expect an engineer and staff at a DOT office to understand how chemicals work.  Thing is, most of my employees are entry level retail folks for whom most OSH related topics might as well be moon speak. 

[kkt]

Drivers who don't turn their headlights on when it's raining, and cops who don't enforce that law.

[Max Rockatansky]

I just manually updated my iPhone to iOS 26.2.1.  The update was hogging up about 7.5GB of memory and wasn't uploading when I was scheduling it overnight. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Drivers who don't turn their headlights on when it's raining, and cops who don't enforce that law.

CHP loves to talk about that with the Tule Fog but rarely stops anyone for not having their headlights on.  On Thursday I drove past two fog related large pileups on CA 41 and maybe 50% of the cars that day had their low beams running.  Today CHP was running speed enforcement operations in clear weather on the two-lane portion of Academy Avenue north of Shaw Avenue to CA 168.   

[vdeane]

The solution to this that my dorm mates have found is to turn the dryer 90 degrees so the door is out of the way in the bathroom and shove the bathroom trash can in front of the door to keep it closed.

Wouldn't it be easier to just put a laundry basket in front of the dryer so that the clothes drop into the basket rather than on the floor?

[vdeane]

Something must be up with the audio mix that was used for the Sailor Moon bluray re-release.  Even though the video quality is much better, the music for the intro and credits for season 2 (R) both sound like they were played back from a cassette tape that was recorded from a TV playing a VHS tape.  And the season 2 credits are my favorite (to the point where that song is my current ringtone).

Also, it seems like a few stock footage sequences are at a higher volume for some reason.

[CoreySamson]

The solution to this that my dorm mates have found is to turn the dryer 90 degrees so the door is out of the way in the bathroom and shove the bathroom trash can in front of the door to keep it closed.

Wouldn't it be easier to just put a laundry basket in front of the dryer so that the clothes drop into the basket rather than on the floor?

It would be easier, but the dryer is located in a narrowish hallway with a ton of foot traffic, so the basket would probably get kicked away or stepped on/over. The point is moot now, though, because they just fixed the dryer door and the vent.

[mgk920]

Drivers who don't turn their headlights on when it's raining, and cops who don't enforce that law.

Ditto failure to dim bright headlights for oncoming traffic.

Mike

[1995hoo]

Drivers who don't turn their headlights on when it's raining, and cops who don't enforce that law.

Or, potentially even worse, drivers of light-colored vehicles who refuse to turn their headlights on when it's snowing.

[TheCatalyst31]

Not ideal, but it's an improvement over the issues my dorm bathroom had the last school year, such as the "poop bandit."

This seems to be a weirdly common issue on college campuses. I remember when I was in college, there was an incident involving a mystery "dryer shitter" a couple years before I was a student.