Minor things that bother you

[mgk920]

Arizona's choices in higher education are either public universities or a bunch of for-profit diploma mills.

Higher level 'academic' institutions have been imploding BIG TIME in recent years.

LOL. Not really. Maybe spend a little less time watching Fox News.

?

Cable/satellite TV is soooooo 'last century'.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

Arizona's choices in higher education are either public universities or a bunch of for-profit diploma mills.

Higher level 'academic' institutions have been imploding BIG TIME in recent years.

LOL. Not really. Maybe spend a little less time watching Fox News.

?

Cable/satellite TV is soooooo 'last century'.

Then simply find a better place to get your news. Large public and elite private institutions have never been financially stronger or more attractive for students. "Imploding?" Hardly. They are the ones best set up to survive the upcoming "demographic cliff."

[DTComposer]

I disagree on that ^^ Mac statement...to a point.

What I'm referring to is to connect to a Bluetooth device, instead of just right clicking on the device and clicking on "connect" or something similar, you have to select the device, click on the wheel icon and go to "Update Device Services". Another thing that irks me about Macs is that to resize windows, you have to grab the bottom right hand corner of the window. In Windows and Linux, you can grab the window anywhere and resize it. Little things like that are just annoying.

Neither of these things are true. I go to the Bluetooth menu, the devices are there, I click "connect," and we're good to go. And as I'm typing this, I'm resizing my window from all over the place.

[mgk920]

I don't limit myself to a seriously limited selection of sources.

Mike

[kphoger]

Wasn't there some petty royal dispute or something that resulted in the inch or foot or something being redefined such that it resulted in 11 inches to a foot or something like that?  Maybe these are a relic of that, with other units staying the same.

It's because the length of a foot was shortened, and switching from ten to eleven in the late-16th Century was by far the simpler option on the table.

I gave a detailed explanation of the history here.

[kphoger]

To summarize:

If the Belgic foot had not given way to the Roman foot in England in AD ≈1300, then those 11s wouldn't be there.  It would have been 15 feet to the rod, 40 yards to the furlong, 8 furlongs to the mile = 4800 feet to the mile.  But the Belgic foot did fall out of use.

Three centuries later, if England had not stuck an 11 into one part of the definition of a furlong (1.1 × 15 feet × 40 rods instead of just 15 × 40), then it would have instead had to stick an 11 into a different part of the definition of a furlong (1.1 × 40 rods × 15 feet).

For the problem at hand back then, rods were the more important measurement.  At that time, it was more important for a mile to be (8 furlongs × 10 chains × 4 rods), which it still is.  But, because you don't use rods and chains in your daily life, you don't notice the functionality of their decision.  Instead, you use feet in your daily life, so the 10% adjustment is more cumbersome for you.

[SEWIGuy]

I don't limit myself to a seriously limited selection of sources.

Mike

Then you are drawing poor conclusions from what those sources are saying.

[formulanone]

It's amazing how universities are have all these problems and yet enrollment has increased, desire to attend has increased, endowment has increased, and they still manage to keep all the lights on despite all these issues.

Nay, the problem is that you can't control everything they do and say because they're still one of the few bastions of free speech and action, even though vying sources make it seem like Fastasyland and prisons all rolled into one.

Their system is flawed but so is every other institution, and certain aspects of media want to deflect as much as possible from their ugly cracks by pointing out a few polishing mars on a jewel which they have no desire to wear.

[Scott5114]

Arizona's choices in higher education are either public universities or a bunch of for-profit diploma mills.

Higher level 'academic' institutions have been imploding BIG TIME in recent years.

Mike

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is on Tropicana Avenue. It was the Tropicana casino that was imploded. Confusing, I know.

[dvferyance]

Dillard's would come to small markets like Grand Junction CO and Sioux Falls SD but will not come to bigger markets like Milwaukee or even Chicago. Try to make sense out of that.

No competition in smaller markets.

Also, both 'major' markets have seen many malls dying in recent years.  They're over saturated.

Mike

They still have the same competition in the smaller markets vs the bigger ones.

[bugo]

Neither of these things are true. I go to the Bluetooth menu, the devices are there, I click "connect," and we're good to go. And as I'm typing this, I'm resizing my window from all over the place.

It is true, at least with Snow Leopard. You can't right click on the device and connect, you have to select it and click on the wheel icon to connect. It is more difficult than it needs to be.

[bugo]

Thanks. I appreciate that sentiment and certainly it was by no means a minor event in our household and I was obviously not trying to trivialize her death. What I meant by that word was simply that I recognize it was not even a blip on the scale of global news or current events.

Have you considered getting another cat? In 2017, my beloved black cat Carter passed away one morning. The very next night, I was visiting my dad and he asked me if I knew anybody who wanted a kitten. Without hesitation, I said "Me!" I didn't take time to think about it. I didn't weigh the plusses and minuses of adopting another cat, I immediately decided I was going to adopt one. The timing was too perfect. I don't believe in fate or destiny, but it's almost like Carter sent her to me. I didn't even know what color the kittens were. I went to the cage the kittens were in and there were four beautiful grey tabby kittens, 2 boys and 2 girls. I wanted a girl kitten because I had such good luck with my black and white bicolor cat Chloe (who attended the St Louis meet in 2014) and because I knew my dad wouldn't get her spayed.

I asked him to give me one of the girls, and he handed one of them to me. As soon as I took her from him, she freaked out. He took her from me and put her in a carrier and we went inside. I put the carrier in a position where I could see her. She hissed and growled the whole time. I had a weird feeling, and I asked him if I could see the other girl. I took her inside and wrapped her in a towel and held her. She was completely chill and calm. I got off on the wrong foot with the first kitten, and I was afraid that she would never like me. Looking back, it was the right decision because Hailey is perfect.

I went home and wrapped her in a towel again and held her for a couple of hours. She was calm and relaxed the whole time. I got up the next morning and went into the living room. About 30 minutes later, I noticed that she was still in the bedroom. I went in there and she was under the bed. I knelt down and said "Come here, kitty!" (She didn't have a name yet, so I called her "kitty".) She didn't immediately come to me, but the third time I called for her she came to me. I brought her into the living room and we bonded immediately. We've been best friends ever since. She learned to trust me right away, which was awesome. She's crazy about me, and the feeling is quite mutual.

Hailey was in no way a replacement for Carter. She immensely helped me deal with the loss of him. You might not be ready to adopt another kitty right now, but you'll know when the time is right. You would be saving a life, and you would have a friend for life. I'm so glad I was at the right place at the right time and that she came into my life at a difficult time. I wasn't looking for a kitten, but she was looking for me.

About a year later, I adopted another kitten, a seal point Siamese who I named Sasha. Sasha's dad was Hailey's brother, which makes Hailey Sasha's aunt. She's just as awesome as Chloe and Hailey. She has brilliant blue eyes. I have the 3 best cats in the world.

Carter and Hailey:



Hailey as a baby kitten:



Chloe:



Sasha:

[D-Dey65]

Here's another computer problem. Years ago, Kurumi's SignMaker website taught millions the way to capture your own copies of the signs you make starts with pushing the "Print-Screen/SysReq" button, and I've been applying this to the capture of a lot of other images. Lately, I've been forced to push that button quite a few times (sometimes more than several times) just to capture images I want.

Off topic, but I've noticed that older folks will screenshot a photo and post the entire screenshot on social media instead of saving the image and posting it themselves. I've always said that a lot of boomers just don't understand technology. Gen Xers typically don't have a problem with technology, but the older generations don't get it.

Well, I'm obviously a Gen Xer myself though at times I often seem closer to the boomers. And what I often find is that a lot of times I know what to do, but the devices I use frequently restrict my ability to let me do what I need to do. Strangely enough, the same progress in technology we see today was started by the boomers.

[1995hoo]

Have you considered getting another cat? ...

Of course we have, and we probably will, but there are practical personal reasons why we decided to wait a couple of weeks at least until early June. Not wanting to rush into it is only one of several reasons; various upcoming matters in our own lives this month are also relevant to the point that they arguably make waiting the responsible thing to do.

[kkt]

Yes, you want to be sure you'll have plenty of time to be home and bonding with the new cat.

When my mom's cat died, my mom had been thinking about moving anyway, so she did the move that year and then got a couple of littermates for her new cats.

[hbelkins]

I really love how everything has gone to the subscription model. /sarcasm

When I bought my first Android device to use as an MP3 player, I settled on Rocket Player as my app of choice to use to play my tunes. The standard version contained ads that would pop up at inconvenient times, but there was a cheap app called Rocket Player Unlocker that, with a one-time purchase, totally eliminated the ads and opened up all the app's features. I've gone through a couple of Android devices since then, and the Rocket Player Unlocker was always available to download from the Google Play Store to unlock the Rocket Player app.

I just got a dedicated MP3 player (not an Android phone with no SIM card, as my previous devices had been) and after I downloaded Rocket Player, I found that the Unlocker app is no longer available in the Play Store. Unfortunately, Rocket Player has gone to a subscription model. Instead of only investing $3.99 once to permanently unlock the app from here on, you have to pay $4.99 a year to keep the app ad-free with all the features working.

Grrr...

[wxfree]

"Smart" things

There was something of a golden age a while back, with computers that were powerful and fast, and they were also obedient.  They didn't try to psychoanalyze you and predict what you want and then offer constant suggestions.  These were just machines that did what they were told to do.  They did it well and they did it fast.  It was a beautiful thing.

My point here isn't about computers, but about things that want Internet connections for no reason.  I live in a dumb house, and I plan to keep it that way as long as possible.  I load the washer, or the dishwasher, or set the thermostat, and then it works.  I've never wished that I could load the washer, drive a hundred miles away, go online, and then start the cycle.  I've never wished I could turn on a water faucet from a different state, or a different room.  I can't imagine a reason to do that.

Has anyone invented a smart roof, one that will start leaking on the first day of the month unless the updated software is installed because its initial programming doesn't tell it how to repel water for more than 31 days?  Can we patent smart siding, which will fall off unless it's updated twice each year with programming that tells it how to stay attached in cold weather or hot weather?  Is there a stupider thing than making everything more prone to failure in order to give the illusion of being smart?

[1995hoo]

Regarding wxfree's comment, we replaced our clothes washer in February and the new one connects to wifi. We didn't buy it with that feature in mind and only realized it after it was delivered. I don't see much point in controlling the machine using my phone—after all, you still have to load it up if you want to wash something because no app can do that for you—but I do very much like the feature that pings me when there are five minutes left on the cycle and again when it's done (it will also ping me if I haven't unloaded it 30 minutes after the cycle is finished). I find that very convenient, especially because the "end-of-load" chime is not loud enough that I can hear it upstairs.

[jeffandnicole]

"Smart" things

There was something of a golden age a while back, with computers that were powerful and fast, and they were also obedient.  They didn't try to psychoanalyze you and predict what you want and then offer constant suggestions.  These were just machines that did what they were told to do.  They did it well and they did it fast.  It was a beautiful thing.

My point here isn't about computers, but about things that want Internet connections for no reason.  I live in a dumb house, and I plan to keep it that way as long as possible.  I load the washer, or the dishwasher, or set the thermostat, and then it works.  I've never wished that I could load the washer, drive a hundred miles away, go online, and then start the cycle.  I've never wished I could turn on a water faucet from a different state, or a different room.  I can't imagine a reason to do that.

Has anyone invented a smart roof, one that will start leaking on the first day of the month unless the updated software is installed because its initial programming doesn't tell it how to repel water for more than 31 days?  Can we patent smart siding, which will fall off unless it's updated twice each year with programming that tells it how to stay attached in cold weather or hot weather?  Is there a stupider thing than making everything more prone to failure in order to give the illusion of being smart?

The 'golden age' you speak up is a pretty short period of time.  There may have been about a 10 year period (on average) where homes often had computers but the internet didn't exist for most.  The internet always pushed things on people, but it was, let's say, less invasive than it is now.

We have Wifi on our Fridge, Washer & Dryer.  We don't use it on any of those devices, and nothing requires upgrading.

[SEWIGuy]

"Smart" things

There was something of a golden age a while back, with computers that were powerful and fast, and they were also obedient.  They didn't try to psychoanalyze you and predict what you want and then offer constant suggestions.  These were just machines that did what they were told to do.  They did it well and they did it fast.  It was a beautiful thing.

My point here isn't about computers, but about things that want Internet connections for no reason.  I live in a dumb house, and I plan to keep it that way as long as possible.  I load the washer, or the dishwasher, or set the thermostat, and then it works.  I've never wished that I could load the washer, drive a hundred miles away, go online, and then start the cycle.  I've never wished I could turn on a water faucet from a different state, or a different room.  I can't imagine a reason to do that.

Has anyone invented a smart roof, one that will start leaking on the first day of the month unless the updated software is installed because its initial programming doesn't tell it how to repel water for more than 31 days?  Can we patent smart siding, which will fall off unless it's updated twice each year with programming that tells it how to stay attached in cold weather or hot weather?  Is there a stupider thing than making everything more prone to failure in order to give the illusion of being smart?

I miss my smart thermostat from my previous house and might replace my "dumb" one this year. I would regularly control it from my phone when returning from a few days away to get it on the right cyle before walking in the door to a house that was either too cold or too hot.

[1995hoo]

I miss my smart thermostat from my previous house and might replace my "dumb" one this year. I would regularly control it from my phone when returning from a few days away to get it on the right cyle before walking in the door to a house that was either too cold or too hot.

When we got ours, I thought I might use that feature more often than I actually have. Ours has a "Vacation" mode in which you program the dates and times of both your departure and your planned return and you tell it what you want it to hold in the interim. It works quiet well and it largely eliminated the need for controlling it from my phone. The main exception that comes to mind was the time we came home two days early from Toronto because my father was dying. When we stopped to eat in Bedford, Pennsylvania, I used my phone to adjust it so that the air would be running when we got home a couple of hours later.

I like the smart thermostat we have for various other reasons, though.

[kkt]

Regarding wxfree's comment, we replaced our clothes washer in February and the new one connects to wifi. We didn't buy it with that feature in mind and only realized it after it was delivered. I don't see much point in controlling the machine using my phone—after all, you still have to load it up if you want to wash something because no app can do that for you—but I do very much like the feature that pings me when there are five minutes left on the cycle and again when it's done (it will also ping me if I haven't unloaded it 30 minutes after the cycle is finished). I find that very convenient, especially because the "end-of-load" chime is not loud enough that I can hear it upstairs.

I solved that problem with a mechanical minute minder that I set when I start the cycle.

[1995hoo]

Regarding wxfree's comment, we replaced our clothes washer in February and the new one connects to wifi. We didn't buy it with that feature in mind and only realized it after it was delivered. I don't see much point in controlling the machine using my phone—after all, you still have to load it up if you want to wash something because no app can do that for you—but I do very much like the feature that pings me when there are five minutes left on the cycle and again when it's done (it will also ping me if I haven't unloaded it 30 minutes after the cycle is finished). I find that very convenient, especially because the "end-of-load" chime is not loud enough that I can hear it upstairs.

I solved that problem with a mechanical minute minder that I set when I start the cycle.

With the old machine, I set a timer on my Apple Watch, although more often than not it proved to be only an estimate. I would have continued to do the same with this one, but since it can ping me, I see no reason not to use the feature. One feature it does have that we don't use is an automatic dispenser for liquid detergent that lets you pour the whole bottle of detergent in at once (unless you buy what I think of as the detergent kegs) and then it dispenses it as needed for each load of wash. We use a different type of detergent for which that feature doesn't work.

[kkt]

Washington State Real ID-compliant driver's licenses don't SAY Real ID or have a star on them.  And the state Dept. of Licensing website is unspecific about what the Real IDs look like.  Guess I'll need to pack my passport to make sure.

[vdeane]

Washington State Real ID-compliant driver's licenses don't SAY Real ID or have a star on them.  And the state Dept. of Licensing website is unspecific about what the Real IDs look like.  Guess I'll need to pack my passport to make sure.

Looking at their website, I'm not sure that Washington even issues non-enhanced Read ID complaint licences.  If your licence is enhanced and has the flag, it should be fine, but if it doesn't, it might not be compliant with Real ID.