# Things that don't make sense



## PhotonWrangler (May 28, 2010)

I found myself in an elevator today that had a single overhead lamp that had burned out (and I didn't have my flashlight on me at the moment).  When the door closed it got _really_ dark inside!

Anyway after further investigation I found that there was a light switch on the panel (yes, it was on). What I can't figure out is this: Why in the world would anyone want to _turn off_ the lights in an elevator car? 

On a related note I'm lobbying to get a long-life lamp placed in there, maybe an LED or an induction lamp.


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## Barbarian (May 28, 2010)

The only time I don't have a flashlight on me is when I am in the shower. 

I'm sure there are members here that take their lights into the shower, but I don't. :candle:


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## TorchBoy (May 28, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> (and I didn't have my flashlight on me at the moment).


 You should be excommunicated from CPF!



PhotonWrangler said:


> Why in the would would anyone want to _turn off_ the lights in an elevator car?


So they can test the effectiveness of their daily carry in an enclosed space, of course.


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## GeetarHero (May 28, 2010)

I don't know what's worse, thefact that that the elevator light is out or the fact that I now want to take a shower with my TK11!


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## PhotonWrangler (May 28, 2010)

TorchBoy said:


> So they can test the effectiveness of their daily carry in an enclosed space, of course.


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## TooManyGizmos (May 28, 2010)

~

Wasn't there an Emergency Tritium Exit sign above the door ?

.
.
.
.


Did the braille :. Dots light up on the panel ?

:nana:


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## JaguarDave-in-Oz (May 28, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Why in the world would anyone want to _turn off_ the lights in an elevator car?


well, it's not like one needs to see where one is walking, left, right, back, forward, doesn't matter which way one goes, there's nowhere to go.............


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## Flashlight Aficionado (May 28, 2010)

My favorite that I've seen is a braille sign at the elevator. I didn't notice it for a year and I am sighted.

What are the odds that a blind person will find the sign or even know that it exists? :thinking:

:naughty: I just figured out the perfect gift for a blind person. An ultra-violet flashlight. Then tell them to tell others who ask, "It's an invisible beam flashlight. Since I can't see anyway, I figured it would be perfect for me. Oh, don't stare at it, it will make you blind." Then tell them to just walk away without any other explanation.


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## TorchBoy (May 28, 2010)

Flashlight Aficionado said:


> What are the odds that a blind person will find the sign or even know that it exists? :thinking:


When the lights went out they'd realise something was wrong and go feeling around... :thinking: OK, when everything goes quiet and the doors don't open they'd go feeling around, and be one up on us sighted people who can't read braille.



Flashlight Aficionado said:


> An ultra-violet flashlight. Then tell them to tell others who ask, "It's an invisible beam flashlight. Since I can't see anyway, I figured it would be perfect for me. Oh, don't stare at it, it will make you blind."


And yet... many blind people _are_ still sensitive to blue light, even if they can't "see" it, and have their body clock set by daylight each day.


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## TooManyGizmos (May 28, 2010)

:huh:

The next Govt. mandate will be ...........

Braille on Hi-Way billboard signs .

about as useful as braille on drive-up bank window equipment.

After that they move on to all house number addresses and braille street maps.

You should ALways carry your EDC on you in case of power failures in buildings and shopping malls , etc.


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## ElectronGuru (May 29, 2010)

TooManyGizmos said:


> about as useful as braille on drive-up bank window equipment.



Most buttons, etc, installed on drive through ATMs are also installed on walk up ATMs (if not the entire unit). In a world full of standardization, it costs less to add all features to all units than to make/store/ship/install multiple versions.


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## TorchBoy (May 29, 2010)

ElectronGuru said:


> In a world full of standardization, it costs less to add all features to all units ...


You _have_ to go and make it make sense. :sigh:


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## NonSenCe (May 29, 2010)

doesnt make sense: 

not carrying a flashlight with you every day all day. ON you. 

not going to pick your almost everyday carry light to go with you when going to another floor. (during emergency: dark corridors, stairways, odd layouts in other floors.)

not going to pick the prementioned light when going into an elevator or any other place that is not lit. 

that just does not make any sense to me. and i hardly ever make sense my self.  

**side note: is it too much of a stretch to imagine that blind people might need to use the atm and could also be DRIVEN to the atm. and they might know they are going to use it and go and sit in the BACKSEAT behind the driver and the driver stops the car so they can use the atm.

but in reality, all the atms are made similar so know one layout you know them all. and standardization is cheaper for maintenance also. all parts fit all.


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## Dances with Flashlight (May 29, 2010)

Barbarian has the answer.

To be prepared for situations such as this, every CPF'er needs more than some super EDC 300 lumen thrower in the car... what is needed is a little 10 or 20 or 30 lumen light on the person - something for EMC (Every Minute Carry).


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## 22hornet (May 29, 2010)

Dances with Flashlight said:


> Barbarian has the answer.
> 
> To be prepared for situations such as this, every CPF'er needs more than some super EDC 300 lumen thrower in the car... what is needed is a little 10 or 20 or 30 lumen light on the person - something for EMC (Every Minute Carry).


 
Very true.
It is the small one, the one you always carry :huh:, that is the most important (flashlight).
That's why an ARC AAA, Fenix LD01 or E01 should always reside in your pocket. 
Not carrying a flashlight and having posted already > 9.000 times since 2003?? Shame! :shakehead. 

You are now sentenced to edc-ing a Maglite 6D 24/24 7/7 for one week :devil:.

Kind regards,
Joris


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## ElectronGuru (May 29, 2010)

TorchBoy said:


> You _have_ to go and make it make sense.





I used to be hyper logical. Had a terrible time understanding the world. Then one day I realized that emotion plays a big role in behavior. The world starting making more sense, but I was still missing a big chunk of the remaining causes. Then one (other) day I realized that economics plays a big role in behavior. In many situations, economics can be even more important than emotion. 

As is the case here, what does something cost (vs alternatives). Just follow the money.


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## PhotonWrangler (May 29, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> doesnt make sense:
> 
> not carrying a flashlight with you every day all day. ON you.



I normally do, but I've temporarily misplaced (I hope) my Fenix P3D-CE. It figures that the day that I didn't have it would be the day that I really needed it. :ironic:


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## JohnR66 (May 29, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> I normally do, but I've temporarily misplaced (I hope) my Fenix P3D-CE. It figures that the day that I didn't have it would be the day that I really needed it. :ironic:



Ah Ah! No excuses! A flashaholic has backups for the backups. When I misplace my maratac AAA EDC, I have one of those Energizer squeeze lights around. And if that is lost, I have a cheap husky AA light. If that is lost I have a...


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 29, 2010)

Induction lighting can cause radio and television interference. I wonder if it would cause interference on a cell phone during an emergency call if something went wrong with the elevator.


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## TorchBoy (May 29, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> **side note: is it too much of a stretch to imagine that blind people might need to use the atm and could also be DRIVEN to the atm. and they might know they are going to use it and go and sit in the BACKSEAT behind the driver and the driver stops the car so they can use the atm.


You _have_ to go and not only make it make sense, but make it the sensible and useful way to do it as well. :thumbsup:

Every Minute Carry with at least _some_thing sounds sensible - something on the keyring even if you forget to put the Mag85 down the trouser leg. But we're running low on things that _don't_ make sense for the topic of this thread. The best I can think of right now is missing 13 in numbering floors in a tall building.


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## TooManyGizmos (May 30, 2010)

OK ..... NonSenCe had to go and make SenCe of my common knee-jerk reflex reaction.

It was just one of those "Things that don't make sense".... the moment you see it.

I'll lay off the comments .....................


Until they put braille on the "Start" button of cars !


Then I'm gonna be upset


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## NonSenCe (May 30, 2010)

oh..many of those start buttons on cars do have the start text raised or textured dont they? so you can feel the letters with your fingertips? so the blind are way ahead of you 

side note about 2 months ago: Blind Metin Senturk with Ferrari F430 at Urfa airport in Turkey made new Guinness World Record with average speed of 292.89 kilometers per hour. (about 182mph)

about 13th floor. only common in usa i think. the old superstition. i kinda hope that there is an actual 13th floor but it is not in use. as in my mind a 13th floor named to be 14th is just fake. the superstitious beeings KNOW its 13th even if its labeled 14th so the bad things can still happen.. you are kidding yourself if you imagine they will fall for that simple numbers game.


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## TooManyGizmos (May 30, 2010)

~
*MaKiNG SeNSe iS _*NOT*_ My PRioRiTy*
~

You are not living up to your Sig. line.

Your priorities are changing !

~


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## Illum (May 30, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Anyway after further investigation I found that there was a light switch on the panel (yes, it was on). What I can't figure out is this: Why in the world would anyone want to _turn off_ the lights in an elevator car?



I'm still trying to figure out who came up with the silly idea of mounting light switches for bathrooms outside the bathroom door...and why restrooms that uses motion sensor lightning turns off after 5 minutes leaving you sitting on the toilet in a room with no windows



GeetarHero said:


> I don't know what's worse, thefact that that the elevator light is out or the fact that I now want to take a shower with my TK11!



Always keep a good light in the shower:thumbsup:

Exit signs don't always work, my old work place the exit signs turns off like everything else when the power goes out. The only thing that won't turn off and will not turn off even when the powers back is the damn fire alarm.


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## Tim B (May 30, 2010)

> and why restrooms that uses motion sensor lightning turns off after 5 minutes leaving you sitting on the toilet in a room with no windows


ROTFLMAO! That makes a funny picture in my head. I can picture the poor guy waving his arms while on the toilet to try to make the motion sensor light come back on.

Here are a few more that don't make sense:

Why are there handicapped parking spaces in front of a skating rink?

Why do we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway?

If you ride your bicycle you are cycling. If you do it again are you recycling?


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## savumaki (May 30, 2010)

An $8000.00 bottle of wine


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## PhotonWrangler (May 30, 2010)

Why is there always a "Please use other door" door? :duh2:


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## FroggyTaco (May 30, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Why is there always a "Please use other door" door? :duh2:



Because that one has a problem & a sign is cheaper than fixing.

Ergo, EG's revelation about economic decisions over logic.


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## PhotonWrangler (May 30, 2010)

FroggyTaco said:


> Because that one has a problem & a sign is cheaper than fixing.
> 
> Ergo, EG's revelation about economic decisions over logic.



I can see this, however this doubles the wear and tear on the remaining door, which will cause it to go out of service much sooner. Then the business will have to prop a door open, causing a huge heating or cooling bill. Penny wise and pound foolish.

It's the same deal when an office copier breaks. Everyone rushes to the next closest copier, doubling it's load. When that one breaks, you then have three departments rushing to the next wworking copier, then four...


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## FroggyTaco (May 30, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> I can see this, however this doubles the wear and tear on the remaining door, which will cause it to go out of service much sooner. Then the business will have to prop a door open, casing a huge heating or cooling bill. Penny wise and pound foolish.
> 
> It's the same deal when an office copier breaks. Everyone rushes to the next closest copier, doubling it's load. Whet that one breaks, you then have three departments rushing to the next working copier, then four...



I concur with your assessment & now defer to my favorite phrase:

"Stupid is as stupid does"

Travis

p.s. I can only presume that most people are gamblers since essentially they are betting that the remaining part will hold up long enough.......


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## TooManyGizmos (May 30, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Why is there always a "Please use other door" door? :duh2:




It's only because they are too damn lazy to open both doors in the morning.

And they like watchin people bang their face into the locked exit side door.

~


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## KC2IXE (May 30, 2010)

Tim B said:


> ...snip...Why are there handicapped parking spaces in front of a skating rink?
> ...snip...



For the same reason we have them at the soccer field - Soccer Mom/Dad might be handicapped (waving) but son who is playing isn't


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## Monocrom (May 31, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> I found myself in an elevator today that had a single overhead lamp that had burned out (and I didn't have my flashlight on me at the moment).  When the door closed it got _really_ dark inside!


 
Doesn't make sense that you didn't have a light on you. 

Something else that doesn't make sense are people who text and drive!

Texting itself makes no sense to me, along with why it is so popular. One comedian said it best:

"Texting is like driving to California, while towing a jet behind you."


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## DM51 (May 31, 2010)

Promising thread!

I once saw a sign at Atlanta Airport that read "This area has not been designated a no smoking area". Plain English (non-gobbledegook) translation: "Smoking permitted here".

I doubt it is still there...


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## NonSenCe (May 31, 2010)

things that make no sense: those plastic heat mold wraps on items. you know the hard ones that are impossible to open without some kind of tool (knife scissors etc) and when you do get it ripped open, the edges are so sharp you can cut yourself. -i have seen bandage pack beeing opened by someone and then immediately had to be used after "successful" unwrapping mishap.


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## PhotonWrangler (May 31, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Doesn't make sense that you didn't have a light on you.



Agreed!  It won't happen again.



> Something else that doesn't make sense are people who text and drive!



Also agree 100%. NOTHING is that important that you have to text it while driving.


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## PhotonWrangler (May 31, 2010)

DM51 said:


> I once saw a sign at Atlanta Airport that read "This area has not been designated a no smoking area". Plain English (non-gobbledegook) translation: "Smoking permitted here".



We ain't not got no kind of double negatives around here, right? :laughing:


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## Monocrom (May 31, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> things that make no sense: those plastic heat mold wraps on items. you know the hard ones that are impossible to open without some kind of tool (knife scissors etc) and when you do get it ripped open, the edges are so sharp you can cut yourself. -i have seen bandage pack beeing opened by someone and then immediately had to be used after "successful" unwrapping mishap.


 
Ah! Blister packs. I hate those. Glad Surefire stopped using them.

I once saw a special tool that is specifically designed to safely & easily cut through blister packs. No sharp edges, no bleeding, no frustration. Sounds great . . . until you realize the tool itself is packed inside of a (yup, you guessed it) blister pack! :shakehead


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## ElectronGuru (Jun 1, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Ah! Blister packs. I hate those.



These are generally in response to a combination of two things, large powerful retailers and shoplifters. A big box store with a hundred isles is harder to monitor, so the manufactures were asked for products that could defend themselves. Such packs are frequently combined with those white bars that set off alarms at the exit doors. Just another case of a few spoiling it for many. My favorite variation of this is when the packaging is better made than the product inside.

I've been known to open 50+ of the SF version in a single afternoon. Have extra large serrated tin snips.


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Jun 1, 2010)

A coworker has a sign on her cube that reads something like "Handicapped curbside voting available, inquire within."


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## Monocrom (Jun 2, 2010)

ElectronGuru said:


> These are generally in response to a combination of two things, large powerful retailers and shoplifters. A big box store with a hundred isles is harder to monitor, so the manufactures were asked for products that could defend themselves. Such packs are frequently combined with those white bars that set off alarms at the exit doors. Just another case of a few spoiling it for many. My favorite variation of this is when the packaging is better made than the product inside.


 
Ironically, I've seen hollow blister packs. I guess the crooks just carefully cut the item out anyway.

(We should ask them which tool they're using.)


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## bstrickler (Jun 2, 2010)

JohnR66 said:


> Ah Ah! No excuses! A flashaholic has backups for the backups. When I misplace my maratac AAA EDC, I have one of those Energizer squeeze lights around. And if that is lost, I have a cheap husky AA light. If that is lost I have a... OH CRAP!!! I NEED TO BUY ANOTHER!!!



Fixed :twothumbs




TooManyGizmos said:


> Until they put braille on the "Start" button of cars !
> 
> 
> Then I'm gonna be upset



Hey, they could be better drivers than some of the people currently allowed on the road! 





NonSenCe said:


> things that make no sense: those plastic heat mold wraps on items. you know the hard ones that are impossible to open without some kind of tool (knife scissors etc) and when you do get it ripped open, the edges are so sharp you can cut yourself. -i have seen bandage pack beeing opened by someone and then immediately had to be used after "successful" unwrapping mishap.



Hey, it's how they get you to buy more! You have to use half the pack to mend your wounds from opening it, causing you to need to buy another pack! :laughing:



What I don't understand, is that today, I just saw a turn lane cutout, but on the post that usually has the signs showing that you can't do either a U-turn, or a left turn, IT HAD BOTH!!!! WTF is with that?! The street to turn into wasn't a one-way/exit only street, either, or a fire station. 

You make the cutout for people to turn left, or do a U-turn, but then you tell them that they can't do either. 

~Brian


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## NonSenCe (Jun 4, 2010)

why dont car manufacturers make the rear seats work like front seats. move back and tilt.. it really is not that much expensive. (easier tho)

why dont car manufacturers make the head room of same size in the backseat as it is on front. (this happens in mid class and uppermidclass sized cars too.. not just on small buckets)

-its one of the main reasons why i prefer stationwagons.. 1. trunk space, 2. head room.

is it really that hard to make new cars have some torque in low rpms? 

is it really that hard to make new cars clutches not to have a travel length of few inches but only engage on and off in 0.1inch distance inside the whole travel to the floor. some where in middle it just grabs without "warning". feather toes and nimble moves needed.

is it really that hard to design the supermarkets so that you can get to the cooler section to pick your milk etc WITHOUT walking all the way in the back of the store. -

is it really that hard to pick the candy bars that are most sold into the cashiers table. not the "last resort" types but the best sellers!

is it really that hard to understand that even if YOU are not in a hurry during rushhour in cashiers table the people in line behind you might be? and you still just have to sort your stuff to the conveyor belt one by one and wait so the teller xaps it thru. and then seeing the price asking to have it removed as it was little more expensive than you thought. and when you are done and should be paying.. then and not before you start to pick your purse/wallet out.. not when the last item is on the belt. or the plastic bag you try to open before giving it to the teller.. now. when its already one more delay you start to look for it. then you look for the discount card that you havent got with you (you even say it aloud) but you still need to go thru the wallets all pockets.. and then pick the slowest method of payment available. you even look at the line behind you and chit chat to teller about how busy it is here and how long cues are and then start to spend more time to pick out the exact change. or close to it. and while pulling every small bill and change out of your wallet all can see you have big bills too to pay it all with one and get change back from a person who does it all day and is rather quick in calculations like that.. unlike you. you whom sighs for long cues and make it even longer by nitpicking why one of the grapes is brown but as an big humanitarian you decide not to pull it out and have them reweighted and re-priced while others wait in the frigging long cue behind you.. 

-this happened today, friday, after 5pm, i had TWO of this kind of people in front of me. this write up is of their collaborated effort to make me go mental. i had plenty time to learn their faces.. never again i will go into same cue with them. they are mr sob and mrs b herself, from now on to me.


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## Batou00159 (Jun 4, 2010)

Barbarian said:


> The only time I don't have a flashlight on me is when I am in the shower.
> 
> I'm sure there are members here that take their lights into the shower, but I don't. :candle:



waterproofing testing time wasted:naughty: me thinks


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## KC2IXE (Jun 4, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> why dont car manufacturers make the rear seats work like front seats. move back and tilt.. it really is not that much expensive. (easier tho)



Because then you have to have an extra 6 inches or so in the cabin of the car - longer, heavier, CAFE rules....



NonSenCe said:


> why dont car manufacturers make the head room of same size in the backseat as it is on front. (this happens in mid class and uppermidclass sized cars too.. not just on small buckets)


Aerodynamics of the outside dictate that the rear be lower



NonSenCe said:


> is it really that hard to make new cars have some torque in low rpms?


If you want an engine that displaces only 3 or so liters, and gets the gas mileages you get today, yes

....snip...


NonSenCe said:


> is it really that hard to design the supermarkets so that you can get to the cooler section to pick your milk etc WITHOUT walking all the way in the back of the store. -


Let's thing about this, from the STORES point of view - the 2 MOST shopped sections are dairy and bread, with meat 3rd - by putting them at the back, and as far away from each other, and the cash registers as possible, you are forced to walk past other items, that you are likely to buy, therefore increasing sales. The BIG chains actually study EVERYTHING you buy, and know exactly what isles you walked down, and what shelves you took items off of - yes, they know where every item in the store is, down to the shelf. They go out of their way to put 'impulse' items right where you're GOING to have to pass them on the way in/out. An example, you WILL have to walk past and eye level display of golf balls/golf gloves on the way out from buying golf clubs



NonSenCe said:


> is it really that hard to pick the candy bars that are most sold into the cashiers table. not the "last resort" types but the best sellers!


Usually, the displays near the cashiers table are HIGH profit impulse items, and often the vendor actually PAYS the store to have their items there - ditto the 'end caps' of the isles

One you know how the economics of a supermarket actually works, a lot of those "don't make sense" make a LOT of sense, when you look at it as a "The store is in business to make as much money as possible"


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## LukeA (Jun 4, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> is it really that hard to design the supermarkets so that you can get to the cooler section to pick your milk etc WITHOUT walking all the way in the back of the store.



It's because demand for milk, bread, and eggs is reliable and fairly high and those items have decent shelf lives (also, who doesn't like french toast?), and because fresh produce is so expensive for the store to purchase and it has such a short shelf life.

As for the rear-seat headroom item, under the rear seat is often where the fuel tank is. That can affect where the back seat has to go. 

That said, the 2010 Subaru Legacy and the Chevy Cobalt 4dr have lots of rear-seat headroom. They're just 2 cars I've recently been in the back of.


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 4, 2010)

Another automobile-related thing: a dashboard full of incomprehensible icons. Every time I wind up in a rental car it's a guessing game of which button does what.


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## JCD (Jun 4, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> is it really that hard to design the supermarkets so that you can get to the cooler section to pick your milk etc WITHOUT walking all the way in the back of the store.



It's neither practical nor desirable (from the store's perspective) to put the dairy case elsewhere. There needs to be room for the cooler behind the dairy display, so it has to be at an edge of the store. Also, there needs to be an easy path from the loading dock to that cooler. These two factors make at or near the back of the store preferable.

More importantly, placing a commonly purchased item at the back of the store increases impulse buys. Grocery stores sell $100 gallons of milk all day long. That is, people come in for milk, and end up buying LOTS of other stuff while they're there because they had to walk through the store to get their milk.


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## Monocrom (Jun 5, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> why dont car manufacturers make the rear seats work like front seats. move back and tilt.. it really is not that much expensive. (easier tho) . . .
> 
> . . . is it really that hard to make new cars have some torque in low rpms?


 
Not sure if the current model has them, but the previous version of the Chevy Malibu had rear seats that could tilt and move forward. I might be mistaken, but I believe those were only available on the discontinued Maxx version.

Apparently, cars with low-end torque somehow became horribly unpopular. GM used to have their torquey 3.8 liter Supercharged V6. But some automotive editors said it was unsophisticated. And sadly, GM actually listened to those morons. So, gone is that sweet power plant. As far as affordable cars go, there's the Nissan Altima and the Mazda 6; both with their respective V6 engine options. Still not quite as good as the old GM 3.8 with the Supercharger, but far from weak.

Low-end torque is something you can actually use day-to-day. I have. On several occasions. Some cars are fun once you get the revs up. Problem is, first you have to get them up there.


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## NonSenCe (Jun 5, 2010)

the layout: so to you guys, it makes sense and you like it that way? how odd is that??

i can get it for the marketing people and the shops point of view.. but the topic is Things that dont make sense. and i see that as things that make no sense to yourself/myself. i couldnt care less what makes sense to the designing architecht team or marketing people or shop keepers. but Me! You! the end user. to Me, Myself and I, that layout just simply SUCKS and DO NOT MAKE SENSE! 

*i knew most would rationalise the layout as you did.. i know it also.. but in the end. that rationalising doesnt make it any smarter layout to the person who is shopping there. it just is not meant to be convinient. its not meant to please the user. its just another way to "tread on the little guy and give him the shaft." -we are big firm. we do what we want. you must do how we want. you go where whe want and see only what we want. you do not matter. your likes and dislikes are worthless. you are just another lamb.. part of the human sheeple that we herd towards our "discount" items that really are not cheap, they just have the big bright word "discount" on them. and you buy. because. like all others do it too. and you are told and persuaded to do so...* sorry. but that is crap too. 

getting sidetracked.. will stop now. its almost 3am again. and im on my "stand on the soapbox" mood. hahah. 

but again..that shop layout makes no sense to me. things you need fast and often.. the best sellers should be in front. with easy reach. not the otherway around. 

as thats the way i organize my stuff home too.. best and most liked in front, or easy access, less used and needed are harder to get too. but i guess you people are different in this too.. and you organize your stuff like supermarkets do.. right?


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## AnAppleSnail (Jun 5, 2010)

TooManyGizmos said:


> :huh:
> 
> Braille on Hi-Way billboard signs .


There's the classic example of a sculptor who mocked a mandate that "All signs on federal building must be of a size readable from xxx distance." This winds up to be eight-inch letters. So he had a line under each line of text with palm-sized pegs jutting out a few inches - braille! Many legally-blind people can't see to drive or read, but can identify halls, walls, doors, and where to put their hands to read braille.

To the original poster: Shame! *E*DC!


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## JCD (Jun 5, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> that rationalising doesnt make it any smarter layout to the person who is shopping there. it just is not meant to be convinient. its not meant to please the user.



There's no profit in making it convenient for the shopper, at least not in this case.



> part of the human sheeple that we herd towards our "discount" items that really are not cheap, they just have the big bright word "discount" on them. and you buy.



Something we used to do when we ordered too much of an item that didn't sell very well: Make sure the shelf was 2/3 empty, and tape a big sign with the price to the shelf. Suddenly, it must be a great deal, because we've sold so many!



> getting sidetracked.. will stop now.



Exactly!!! 



> but again..that shop layout makes no sense to me. things you need fast and often.. the best sellers should be in front. with easy reach. not the otherway around.



Grocery stores have pretty low profit margins, after overhead (1-3% about 15 years ago). They make their money by shoppers returning every week or so. Most people don't like to go grocery shopping, so they want to make sure you spend as much as possible while you're there. 



> and you organize your stuff like supermarkets do.. right?



Nope. I'm not trying to sell all of my belongings!


----------



## LukeA (Jun 6, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> the layout: so to you guys, it makes sense and you like it that way? how odd is that??



I don't think anybody's said that they like it. We just understand it and understand that it's the storeowner's right to organize the store however he wants. We could vote with our wallets and go to stores organized differently, but they're all the same by now, so that's not really an option.

In fact, one local chain of grocery stores in my area (and others throughout the world I'm sure) has installed rough-texture irregularly-sized tile beneath the produce/deli/bakery section and regular smooth vinyl tile throughout the rest of the store, the rationale being that that carts roll loudly over the rough tile and shoppers instinctively slow down, giving the displays of expensive, soon-to-expire items more time to attract the shoppers' attention.


----------



## dudemar (Jun 6, 2010)

TorchBoy said:


> When the lights went out they'd realise something was wrong and go feeling around... :thinking: OK, when everything goes quiet and the doors don't open they'd go feeling around, and be one up on us sighted people who can't read braille.



...that and hopefully this elevator is packed with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders...


----------



## LED07 (Jun 9, 2010)

Illum said:


> I'm still trying to figure out who came up with the silly idea of mounting light switches for bathrooms outside the bathroom door...and why restrooms that uses motion sensor lightning turns off after 5 minutes leaving you sitting on the toilet in a room with no windows
> 
> 
> 
> ...




This is indeed not very sensible.. Weird that the Exit Sign is not a 
non electrical sign, since in case of emergency there might be no power.. but ok..


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found (Jun 9, 2010)

LED07 said:


> This is indeed not very sensible.. Weird that the Exit Sign is not a
> non electrical sign, since in case of emergency there might be no power.. but ok..


 
I can't speak for that sign, but most if not all of the ones I have experience with have a sensor which recognizes where the power goes out. When that happens they go to reserve power from an internal backup battery, or on site generator if the location has one.


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jun 15, 2010)

Soap dispensers in public restrooms. All too often a dispenser doesn't get refilled - they just put up another dispenser and leave the old one there. I've been in restrooms where there are _three_ dispensers - one built into the sink (which nobody ever refills because they have to bend under the sink to get to it), then a second dispenser stuck to the mirror (also empty and/or broken) and a _third _dispenser with - maybe - soap! It's a guessing game when I walk into these places.

And if the dispensers that are built into the countertops are such a bad idea, why do they keep installing them?


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 15, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> And if the dispensers that are built into the countertops are such a bad idea, why do they keep installing them?


 
At the large chains like Taco bell, Wendy's, Burger King, etc., the decision isn't up to anyone in charge who works in the particular restaurant. It's up to some corporate exec. who has never even set foot inside most of the individual restaurants. 

Some [email protected]$$ sued one of the big chains for not having liquid soap in the bathrooms, and likely won. Rather than get sued, it's cheaper to just keep putting in more liquid soap. Individual employees at each individual place don't want to be bothered with swapping out the empty liquid soap containers. So they just add more, and the guy from Corporate obviously never checks himself. Someone else goes to each place, and reports that there's plenty of soap in the restrooms.

It's all about laziness and making sure no customers file lame lawsuits that a slick attorney can actually win.


----------



## Mike Painter (Jun 15, 2010)

Flashlight Aficionado said:


> My favorite that I've seen is a braille sign at the elevator. I didn't notice it for a year and I am sighted.
> 
> What are the odds that a blind person will find the sign or even know that it exists? :thinking:



Close to 100%. It wasn't the sighted community that fought to get the Braille there and put in a standard location.
They expect it to be there for the same reason that we look in the same place for a stop sign when we are driving.


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## DM51 (Jun 15, 2010)

"New Improved" (translation = the old version you liked has now been replaced by something vile)


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## NonSenCe (Jun 15, 2010)

and them damn soap dispensers. 

company makes one dispenser that has a useful and easy to swap liquid container they also produce and sell. when empty, just open lock and put the container in and thingy works again.

fast foward year or two. the company decides to stop making the soap containers. (as everyone has already bought the dispenser and only buy the containers anymore) 

and then the company starts to sell new dispenser that is slightly different to previous model.. so much that old soap containers do not FIT! and then they sell new dispenser and new soap containers..for few years. until they re-haul the lineup once again to sell new dispensers for their old clients. again. and again.

this cycle also is one reason why there are meny dispensers in old restrooms. one uses one type of container. one might be loadable with another type and third is only fillable with "loose soap" that might make it too difficult job to perform for the lazy person. and messy too. 

and it costs alot more time to take out the old dispenser off the wall cleanly than it takes to screw or glue new one in. 

**i once installed 160 dispensers in 3 days. drilling the walls and tapping them for screw mounts.. and filled them all with soap and stuff the following day. and i tell you.. by the time i had installed 30 new ones, i was so sick and tired in removing and emptying etc of the old ones. 

so i stopped doing it where it wasnt absolutely neccessary (size or location issue) and in the end i just went back removing them later when i had some spare time to spend. (i bet i forgot some, and they are still in there.)

**years back when i was kid.. a smallish car like Ford Escort -88 weighed about 850kilograms. nowdays a car that replaced it the Focus, weighs 1300kilos. 

the new engines make more power than the old ones, and dispite that also the fuel economy of the modern engines have improved. 

but if they really, i mean really want people to drive with cars that use less fuel and force the emissions down.. why do they make the cars so hmm.. porky and hefty?

i know. safety features add weigh.. but seriously.. a third more?

i bet it would safe some fuel to have the modern engine in chassis that weighs 30% less than the one it currently is.


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## Monocrom (Jun 16, 2010)

How did Alvin Greene of South Carolina get 60% of the vote??

He's an unknown, and he raised no money to take on the incumbent.

And the man might be mentally unstable to boot.


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## AnAppleSnail (Jun 16, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> How did Alvin Greene of South Carolina get 60% of the vote??
> 
> He's an unknown, and he raised no money to take on the incumbent.
> 
> And the man might be mentally unstable to boot.



You show up, tell the voting staff your voter number, and cast your vote. You don't show ID.


----------



## Paul_in_Maryland (Jun 16, 2010)

The last book I finished reading was 13 Things That Don't Make Sense.


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## Launch Mini (Jun 16, 2010)

**years back when i was kid.. a smallish car like Ford Escort -88 weighed about 850kilograms. nowdays a car that replaced it the Focus, weighs 1300kilos. 

the new engines make more power than the old ones, and dispite that also the fuel economy of the modern engines have improved. 

but if they really, i mean really want people to drive with cars that use less fuel and force the emissions down.. why do they make the cars so hmm.. porky and hefty?

i know. safety features add weigh.. but seriously.. a third more?

i bet it would safe some fuel to have the modern engine in chassis that weighs 30% less than the one it currently is.[/QUOTE]

I had a Firely (Sprint), 3 cylinder , light car that got close to 60mpg (CDN albiet), relatively cheap car.
Wonder why they stopped making them????
You could actually have a Turbo Sprint , that had higher power to weight ratio than a Camaro at that time.


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## Launch Mini (Jun 16, 2010)

is it really that hard to make new cars have some torque in low rpms? 


Mine is 421ft/tq and only 3 litres:huh::thumbsup:

If I lay off the pedal on the right, I get great mileage. Especially on the freeway.


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## Monocrom (Jun 17, 2010)

AnAppleSnail said:


> You show up, tell the voting staff your voter number, and cast your vote. You don't show ID.


 
Normally, I'd agree.

But Greene is a complete unknown who spent nothing on his campaign. If he had a ton of money and a lust for power, it would all make sense.


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## LukeA (Jun 17, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Normally, I'd agree.
> 
> But Greene is a complete unknown who spent nothing on his campaign. If he had a ton of money and a lust for power, it would all make sense.



His first name being Alvin, he was at the top of the ballot. And I guess most people in his district don't really care about the Democratic primary, the winner of which will run against a massive Republican favorite in November.


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## LukeA (Jun 17, 2010)

Launch Mini said:


> i know. safety features add weigh.. but seriously.. a third more?



Yep. You would be surprised.


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## DoctaDink (Jun 17, 2010)

A few that I have encountered or pondered:

1. Being told at the Burger King drive up that they were "out of burgers" ...

2. Signs at Post Offices which read: "No Dogs Allowed, except Seeing Eye Dogs" 

3. Laws that allow open carry of firearms, but consider it illegal if a CCW permit holder's weapon "prints". If a handgun is carried inside the waist band with the grip showing; Is it concealed or open?


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## Illum (Jun 17, 2010)

Had to think upon seeing certain signs on campus...they would have used two signs, but instead they used one and it read

Outside the health building

```
DO NOT SMOKE
IN THE ATRIUM
SMOKING AREA
------------->
```

Right by the library

```
Parking Garage A 
-------------->
Parking Garage A & H
<--------------
```

Side of the parking lot where theres a fire lane

```
NO PARKING
PARKING LOT
AHEAD
```

I'm not saying you should use two signs, but at least keep a space between titles :ironic:


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 17, 2010)

Illum said:


> Had to think upon seeing certain signs on campus...they would have used two signs, but instead they used one and it read
> 
> Outside the health building
> 
> ...



 Oh, we definitely need pictures here.


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## JCD (Jun 17, 2010)

Illum said:


> Had to think upon seeing certain signs on campus...they would have used two signs, but instead they used one and it read
> 
> Outside the health building
> 
> ...



As seen on a sign in a building on campus:

Joint Use Facility
No Smoking​
:thinking:


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## Monocrom (Jun 18, 2010)

DoctaDink said:


> A few that I have encountered or pondered:
> 
> 1. Being told at the Burger King drive up that they were "out of burgers" ...
> 
> ...


 
1 - Once went to my local KFC, and was told they were out of chicken. The dude behind the counter offered to sell me a biscuit instead.

2 - I think I've seen those signs too. :shrug:

3 - It's generally going to be considered concealed. Thus, a violation of CCW laws that have provisions against printing.


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## LukeA (Jun 18, 2010)

DoctaDink said:


> 2. Signs at Post Offices which read: "No Dogs Allowed, except Seeing Eye Dogs"



This is because seeing eye dogs are as much accessibility tools as they are pets, possibly more. Because of their extensive training, seeing eye dogs can also be expected to not act like dogs, i.e. relieve themselves, bark, sniff inappropriate things, etc, which are the major reasons for the banning of dogs in other establishments. 

As for the signs themselves, I can understand some confusion as to their placement, because neither the handlers nor the dogs can read. But the signs aren't for them, the signs are for otherwise well-meaning rule-followers who might otherwise prevent the handler and their dog from entering the establishment.


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## DoctaDink (Jun 18, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> 3 - It's generally going to be considered concealed. Thus, a violation of CCW laws that have provisions against printing.



Understood.

The law just seems funny to me, that if one is licensed to carry concealed, then it should not be a violation (in an open carry State)if it happens to print. Because you can legally carry it either way. Just like if you are open carrying, and your coat or shirt tail happens to cover it, one could be considered in violation, if it then happens to show. The question becomes, "are you open carrying or concealed".
I'd rather carry concealed for several reasons, including:


To not raise the concerns or anxiety of others.


To not be seen as the first target for a bad guy to eliminate.


To not look like some gung ho, wanna be
To not be pegged as a "Gun Nut" (though I am definitely a pro gun, pro 2nd amendment, gun enthusiast)
To have the element of surprise on my side in the event of an encounter which would require the use of deadly force.


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 18, 2010)

I can understand why there are such provisions against having your gun be seen by others if it prints through your clothing. If you open carry in a locale where it is common to do so, you might get a weird look every now & then. No looks if your weapon is completely concealed. But if it prints, most folks are going to assume you're up to no good. Especially in an area where open carry is common. 

Imagine all the phone calls the local police would get. Then they show up, and it turns out to be a permit holder who either put on the wrong shirt or generally isn't too discrete. A quick talk will work on some folks, but not others. However, the thinking is that if it's against the law to have your weapon print through your clothes, then folks who carry will take extra effort to make sure no one sees their weapon. (And if they don't, cops then have the option of enforcing that law when several others call them up about a guy walking around, trying to hide a gun under his clothes.)

I can't think of a place where "Man with a gun," isn't taken seriously by LEOs. They don't have the option of saying, "Well, it's probably just a permit holder." Nope, they have to respond and investigate every time someone forgets to be discrete. Even here in NYC, you could be beaten within an inch of your life. If you don't live on the wealthy Upper East side, good luck getting the NYPD to respond. Call in about a guy with a gun, and half the entire police force swarms on the area.


----------



## Illum (Jun 18, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Oh, we definitely need pictures here.



I have to find a time to hike back on campus, now that I take everything online, theres no need to drive an hour to take campus courses...

I do recall finding a similar sign and taking it with my cellphone, hold on. 





Thankfully this one isn't all in caps 

The parking lot one was set up for freshman orientation, from the auditorium to which the orientation is held garage A and H are essentially the same place but ones slightly overlapping the other. [Our campus is basically a circle so it goes A, B, C, D...H and H comes back to A. We get asked alot why H is so close to A and why B is essentially the next quadrant over 

Our largest student organization happens to be NORML, which aims to legalize marijuana
so we see this alot




Safer alternative? really? If your not driving I'd agree


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 18, 2010)

Illum said:


> Our largest student organization happens to be NORML, which aims to legalize marijuana
> so we see this alot


 
Nice to see folks going to college, and vandalizing public property, for an important reason.


----------



## Illum (Jun 18, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Nice to see folks going to college, and vandalizing public property, for an important reason.



Our campus has its share of issues, so does the local Publix




Mistaking mango for watermelon is something on the whole unacceptable.


----------



## DoctaDink (Jun 18, 2010)

Monocrom, you make some good points.


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jun 18, 2010)

Directions that don't make sense - 

When I was a newbie on campus many years ago, I needed directions to a particular area in the student center. When I asked someone in the lobby where I could find so-and-so, the answer I got was "You can't miss it - it's where the pool table *used* to be!"

:duh2:


----------



## red02 (Jun 19, 2010)

Why they ask for a name at a lost&found in most places... I never could figure that one out.

also why the west of me is China, Japan and such which is called "the east". East of me is England, France, etc. which is usually called "the west".


----------



## TorchBoy (Jun 19, 2010)

red02 said:


> Why they ask for a name at a lost&found in most places... I never could figure that one out.


Lost children probably respond better to someone knowing their name when they get found, and lost property can't tell the finder who its owner is.



red02 said:


> also why the west of me is China, Japan and such which is called "the east". East of me is England, France, etc. which is usually called "the west".


That's what you get for living so far west. But don't forget they're a day ahead of you.


----------



## red02 (Jun 19, 2010)

TorchBoy said:


> Lost children probably respond better to someone knowing their name when they get found, and lost property can't tell the finder who its owner is.



Found a set of keys a few days ago and returned it to the library desk. I don't really understand what my name has to do with me returning the keys...


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 19, 2010)

DoctaDink said:


> Monocrom, you make some good points.


 
Thank you.

Sadly, I am no stranger to the sheer insane situations that are so common in this world.

I think there is a Heaven. It's a place where stuff makes sense.


----------



## TorchBoy (Jun 19, 2010)

red02 said:


> Found a set of keys a few days ago and returned it to the library desk. I don't really understand what my name has to do with me returning the keys...


(So _that's_ why it didn't make sense that it didn't make sense to you.) Did you give her (him?) your phone number? :naughty:


----------



## ElectronGuru (Jun 19, 2010)

red02 said:


> why the west of me is China, Japan and such which is called "the east". East of me is England, France, etc. which is usually called "the west".



Our language developed during the course of human history. You just have to know when the name started and what was going on:

When 'the east' and 'the west' came into being, the 'known world' was Eurasia (all of what is now Europe + Asia - which are actually the same continent and _still_ described as separate). In that context, China/Japan is very east of England/France. Beyond that, of course is the Far East. Today, all European derived cultures/economies are described collectively as 'the west'.

We have similar examples in more recent times. When the US was younger, most people were on the Atlantic coast and the most you could imagine westward were the rockies. The bit in the middle was naturally called "central". Today, what we call central is on the left side of the east/right half - Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern.


Now, if someone could just explain why *OFF* means *off*, unless and only until you put the word *GO* in front of it. 

Then it suddenly means *on*.


----------



## Paul_in_Maryland (Jun 19, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Directions that don't make sense -
> 
> When I was a newbie on campus many years ago, I needed directions to a particular area in the student center. When I asked someone in the lobby where I could find so-and-so, the answer I got was "You can't miss it - it's where the pool table *used* to be!"
> 
> ...


----------



## Paul_in_Maryland (Jun 19, 2010)

Launch Mini said:


> **years back when i was kid.. a smallish car like Ford Escort -88 weighed about 850kilograms. nowdays a car that replaced it the Focus, weighs 1300kilos.


Agreed. My 2004 Focus weighs about 1200 kg (2650 lb). But its bloated cousin, the Mazda 3, gets heavier by the year; the 2010 model now uses a 2.5-liter engine (like the Gold GTI) and weighs about 1350 kilos.


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jun 19, 2010)

3D Toothpaste.

If I use this toothpaste, will others need special glasses to see my teeth? And if they're not wearing the glasses will my teeth look blurry?


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 21, 2010)

Why are there commercials at the movies?

I can recall just a few short years ago when there weren't any. None!

Now you get hit with a ton of ads before the Previews even begin. Why? It's not as though those commercials off-set the cost of the film. Movies are now over $10 for one ticket. And it's not as though they off-set the cost of the snacks. For the price of a large popcorn at the movies, your money could buy two large garbage bags full of popcorn anywhere else.

You get free shows on the major networks because commercials pay for those TV programs. You pay less than you otherwise would for some cable channels because commercials help to off-set the price. But at the movies, they off-set nothing!


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jun 21, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Why are there commercials at the movies?
> 
> I can recall just a few short years ago when there weren't any. None!
> 
> Now you get hit with a ton of ads before the Previews even begin.



They should advertise the time that the _real_ movie begins, not the ads.


----------



## chanjyj (Jun 21, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> They should advertise the time that the _real_ movie begins, not the ads.



In Singapore people make it a habit to go in late because of this (or so I presume, since EVERYONE goes in late).

For me, I don't watch movies at all. Saves me a pile of money.


Golly, this reminds me of the time I was on a cruise (FREE movie) and those ushers were using tiny LED torches which didn't help at all. I JUST had to take out one of my lights. too bad Olight SR90 wasn't around then :devil:


----------



## Launch Mini (Jun 21, 2010)

If Wal-Mart keeps lowering it's prices everyday, how come nothing in the store is free?
AND, were their prices too high the day before?


----------



## fisk-king (Jun 21, 2010)

1. Approaching a woman & flirting w/ her for 5 min not knowing that the husband is in the same store & was not notified at the beginning of conversation 

2. Chatting between stalls. Why?

3. Overweight teens in baby strollers eating a rotisserie chicken. It's a wal-mart special.

4. Spandex worn by 200lb + people. That's not right.

5. Express lane of 10 items or less. It's not 50 of 10 different items.

6. Went to see The Karate Kid where a little girl in front of us asked her mom to read the subtitles to her. She looked around 11.

7. Being paired up in judo class with someone on Jillian Michael's most wanted list. When you try to "shrimp" away he looks at you knowing your attempts are futile.

8. If EZ Bake ovens are so easy why didn't they replace conventional ones.


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found (Jun 21, 2010)

Here's one, doesn't it kind of feel pointless to wash your hands after you've already handled your pants, shirt tails, belt, tie, and have pulled up your sleeves?


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 21, 2010)

fisk-king said:


> 1. Approaching a woman & flirting w/ her for 5 min not knowing that the husband is in the same store & was not notified at the beginning of conversation
> 
> 2. Chatting between stalls. Why?
> 
> ...


 
1 - Some women are very insecure about their looks. They like knowing they can still attract a man they're not married to.

2 - Some people are just thoughtless.

3 - Some folks should never be parents.

4 - Some folks like to pretend they are still attractive.

5 - Please see #2 above.

6 - Please see #3 above.

7 - Some folks like to show off.

8 - Those are training ovens for little girls. (One of the few toys that actually makes sense.)


----------



## Illum (Jun 21, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Why are there commercials at the movies?



not just the movies, you can't go straight to menu on DVDs, when you're trying to watch the news on a podcast while crunching time theres that first 10-15 second "commercial" before the news that you can't fast forward 



chanjyj said:


> For me, I don't watch movies at all. Saves me a pile of money.



Good idea, I do the same, it keeps gummy bears off of the bottom of my shoe, prevents the coke stains on my sleeves, eliminates the noisy kid behind me that once awhile I'd end up blinding with strobe for the fun of it...and get escorted out thereafter


----------



## red02 (Jun 22, 2010)

Commercials about how great HDTV is on SDTV that show the HDTV picture. Can you really convince me that HD is that much better by showing it on my regular TV?


----------



## Flashlight Aficionado (Jun 22, 2010)

was.lost.but.now.found said:


> Here's one, doesn't it kind of feel pointless to wash your hands after you've already handled your pants, shirt tails, belt, tie, and have pulled up your sleeves?



So true. Or washing your hands thoroughly, then touching the door hand to get out of the bathroom.


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found (Jun 22, 2010)

Illum said:


> Good idea, I do the same, it keeps gummy bears off of the bottom of my shoe, prevents the coke stains on my sleeves, eliminates the noisy kid behind me that once awhile I'd end up blinding with strobe for the fun of it...and get escorted out thereafter


 
You know, I took my three year old son to see Toy Story 3 this weekend and, ironically, it was one of the best movie experiences I've had. There was one scene with some 'peril' when a particular girl started crying, but other than that there was not a peep in the theatre. Not to mention the movie was fantastic and my son loved it to boot.


----------



## Launch Mini (Jun 22, 2010)

red02 said:


> Commercials about how great HDTV is on SDTV that show the HDTV picture. Can you really convince me that HD is that much better by showing it on my regular TV?


 
But the yellows are now yellow, but we can't see that either:sick2:


----------



## NonSenCe (Jun 22, 2010)

completely silent movie theater.. and watching a childrens movie that is supposed to be a comedy? dang that toystory 3 must SUCK if no one laughed.. all watched the movie in silence. very scary stuff 

things that make no sense:
*parking meters that only accept certain coins. why cant they accept all coins that are commonly in use. 
*and stores having the policy: "we dont change money to smaller change to fit the parkingmeters that are outside of our storefront". -but we do appriciate your business.. *[thinly-disguised expletive removed - DM51]* aint gettin my business then

*in days of genetic engineering.. why cant they make a common lawngrass that will not grow longer than inch or two high. so one wouldnt ever have to mow the lawn again. (im happy to pay higher price for such.. maybe even worth TWO lawmowers pricetag for such an dreamy lawn.. just imagine: never needs cutting.. ahh..)


----------



## DM51 (Jun 22, 2010)

NonSenCe... I have deleted that comment in your post. It was perfectly obvious what it was. The changing of a letter or two gives you no excuse for using foul language.


----------



## John_Galt (Jun 22, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Why are there* commercials at the movies*?
> 
> I can recall just a few short years ago when there weren't any. None!
> 
> ...



Those are actually great, because they give you an extra 20+ minutes to use the bathroom, find good seats (assuming the theater isn't crowded, of course) and get your snack foods. Or some extra time to get there, if you run into an unexpected delay. See, there's an upside to everything.

I like checking on food in the microwave/oven, etc. when commercials are on TV.


----------



## Kestrel (Jun 22, 2010)

Flashlight Aficionado said:


> washing your hands thoroughly, then touching the door hand to get out of the bathroom.


+1, I opened this thread this afternoon to post on this exact situation, but you beat me to it. At least some bathroom doors have press-paddles that you can open with your sleeved arm or whatever, but what's the deal with having to grasp doorknobs once your hands are washed & clean? :duh2:


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jun 22, 2010)

Kestrel said:


> +1, I opened this thread this afternoon to post on this exact situation, but you beat me to it. At least some bathroom doors have press-paddles that you can open with your sleeved arm or whatever, but what's the deal with having to grasp doorknobs once your hands are washed & clean? :duh2:



+1 on this one. Fortunately my workplace installed sanitizing gel dispensers immediately _outside_ of the restrooms for this purpose. But this doesn't cover most public restrooms. When in doubt, if there's a major bug going around, I'll use my sleeve to grab the door handle.


----------



## Darvis (Jun 22, 2010)

Prunes, by their nature, are dried plums... yet there does exist prune juice...


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found (Jun 22, 2010)

Darvis said:


> Prunes, by their nature, are dried plums... yet there does exist prune juice...


 
Good one, why don't we have raisin juice?


----------



## Darvis (Jun 22, 2010)

Exactly!


----------



## fisk-king (Jun 22, 2010)

Kestrel said:


> +1, I opened this thread this afternoon to post on this exact situation, but you beat me to it. At least some bathroom doors have press-paddles that you can open with your sleeved arm or whatever, but what's the deal with having to grasp doorknobs once your hands are washed & clean? :duh2:




90% of the time I use the paper towels that were used to dry my hand to open the door with then discard on the way out.


----------



## Flashlight Aficionado (Jun 22, 2010)

was.lost.but.now.found said:


> Good one, why don't we have raisin juice?



I clearly remember a Saturday Night Live skit that had the waitress juicing individual raisins. My search for said video has failed.


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 23, 2010)

was.lost.but.now.found said:


> Good one, why don't we have raisin juice?


 
One of the few foods that is easier to eat than it would be to drink.


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## TorchBoy (Jun 23, 2010)

fisk-king said:


> 6. Went to see The Karate Kid where a little girl in front of us asked her mom to read the subtitles to her. She looked around 11.





Monocrom said:


> 3 - Some folks should never be parents.
> ...
> 6 - Please see #3 above.


I don't know why that particular 11 year old asked to have them read, but there are many reasons possible, few of which reflect on the parents. I happen to know an 11 year old who can't read (and who almost certainly wouldn't ask for subtitles to be read). Said child's mother has been complemented by specialists for her work to get the reading going. While I believe it's very true that some folks should never be parents it's probably a little flippant for this sort of situation.


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 23, 2010)

TorchBoy said:


> I don't know why that particular 11 year old asked to have them read, but there are many reasons possible, few of which reflect on the parents. I happen to know an 11 year old who can't read (and who almost certainly wouldn't ask for subtitles to be read). Said child's mother has been complemented by specialists for her work to get the reading going. While I believe it's very true that some folks should never be parents it's probably a little flippant for this sort of situation.


 
fisk-king never mentioned if the child appeared to be mentally handicapped. Something like that is generally obvious.


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jun 23, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> fisk-king never mentioned if the child appeared to be mentally handicapped. Something like that is generally obvious.



It's also possible that the child was visually impaired. While it's annoying for that to take place in a t heater, I'd prefer that the child had this need attended to. Annoying or not, I'm sure the mother was doing it as an act of caring and love.


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jun 23, 2010)

Another one that I just realized - 

I just saw a news story about a bank holdup. The camera was fairly poor quality and was apparently mounted on ther far wall facing the customers, and the perp's face was mostly obscured by a baseball cap.

In these days of pinhole lenses, why can't they embed a decent quality camera mounted at EYE LEVEL at the teller stations, facing the customer? It's crazy that the teller can see the perp's face but the camera can't.


----------



## TorchBoy (Jun 25, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> fisk-king never mentioned if the child appeared to be mentally handicapped. Something like that is generally obvious.


I don't know where you're going with that, but the implication that kids who can't read are necessarily mentally handicapped is highly insulting. Oh look, a new smilie... :fail:


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 25, 2010)

TorchBoy said:


> I don't know where you're going with that, but the implication that kids who can't read are necessarily mentally handicapped is highly insulting. Oh look, a new smilie... :fail:


 
LOL. 

I feel honored. I think I'm the first CPFer to have the new smilie used at him. Thanks.

BTW, on a slightly more serious note, you don't know my background regarding children with learning disabilities. It's not something I've ever shared before with the CPF community, and not something I plan to. However, I will say that my previous post was not based on assumptions drawn out of thin air. Nor was it an insult against children who have genuine learning disabilities.


----------



## Illum (Jun 27, 2010)

If its from fish then say its from fish







Hey, Hotel designers, low-flows are designed to reduce water use...okay, that I agree, but then walking beyond the suite introduction card and into the bathroom and I see this




If your trying to conserve water then whats this about?:thinking:


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 28, 2010)

Illum said:


> Hey, Hotel designers, low-flows are designed to reduce water use...okay, that I agree, but then walking beyond the suite introduction card and into the bathroom and I see this
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm guessing it's for two people showering together.


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## Kestrel (Jun 28, 2010)

< insert budget LED 'showerhead' joke here >


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 28, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> I'm guessing it's for two people showering together.


 
No wait! I get it. . . 

One head for your head, the other for your body. In theory, two heads means you'll be done with your shower in half the time since your head and body are both being thoroughly washed at the same time. Yup, that's it.

(I dare anyone to come up with a better explanation.) :nana:


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## Illum (Jun 28, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> No wait! I get it. . .
> 
> One head for your head, the other for your body. In theory, two heads means you'll be done with your shower in half the time since your head and body are both being thoroughly washed at the same time. Yup, that's it.
> 
> (I dare anyone to come up with a better explanation.) :nana:



there are showerheads made for that...ones vertical and the other is mounted horizontally on the wall


----------



## Monocrom (Jun 28, 2010)

Illum said:


> there are showerheads made for that...ones vertical and the other is mounted horizontally on the wall


 
Maybe the double-headed model is the cheapo version preferred by hotels. :shrug:


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## Lite_me (Jun 29, 2010)

I'll see your two and raise you one.


----------



## John_Galt (Jun 29, 2010)

I'm sure their are building codes that require low-flow shower heads. Using two in such a manner allows them to still be technically within code, but they get fewer complaints from people about crappy flow and pressure issues.


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## Monocrom (Jun 29, 2010)

John_Galt said:


> I'm sure their are building codes that require low-flow shower heads. Using two in such a manner allows them to still be technically within code, but they get fewer complaints from people about crappy flow and pressure issues.


 
Darn it! That does sound like a better explanation than what I came up with.


----------



## red02 (Jun 29, 2010)

John_Galt said:


> I'm sure their are building codes that require low-flow shower heads. Using two in such a manner allows them to still be technically within code, but they get fewer complaints from people about crappy flow and pressure issues.



My physics is pretty rusty, but doesn't increasing the area over which the water is forced through lower the pressure making it more likely that people will complain? I think its Pascal's principle, right?


----------



## Databyter (Jun 29, 2010)

OK, heres a scenario for you hard core aalways have a light on my person guys.

The economy is down and there is an increase of crime.

You happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and circumstantial evidence put you into a harsh prison environment.

What do you bring with you stored in your posterior.

Nothing?

Your favorite AAA Titanium EDC?

A Penknife in a stainless shell

A roll of cash in stainless steel

Some other light.

How important is that light now, if you're locked up and have no control over your environment, more or less.

Just a random thought provoking idea.

So many angles to consider, the freedom of having a light after it gets dark for the rest of the inmate population. 

Some prisons might allow small lights, I really don't know. I'm pretty sure they would allow batteries or a charger.

I'm just wondering if some of the hardcore EDC'ers in here would like to defend the idea in that environment, or is this finally a place, like the shower for some, where it just stops making sense.

I personally carry a titanium lithium AAA light with me (not in my rear though), and usually a cr123 based light on my belt if I'm going out even in the early afternoon and know I'll be gone for a long time.

The question is, how hard core is either your addiction, worship, or commen sense feeling that a light is critical everywhere?


----------



## Databyter (Jun 29, 2010)

red02 said:


> My physics is pretty rusty, but doesn't increasing the area over which the water is forced through lower the pressure making it more likely that people will complain? I think its Pascal's principle, right?


This wouldn't apply with low flows since they are already a small fraction of the available pressure.


----------



## Alaric Darconville (Jun 29, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Anyway after further investigation I found that there was a light switch on the panel (yes, it was on). What I can't figure out is this: Why in the world would anyone want to _turn off_ the lights in an elevator car?



It just dawned on me that it's recommended one turns off the switch before changing a bulb.


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jun 29, 2010)

Alaric Darconville said:


> It just dawned on me that it's recommended one turns off the switch before changing a bulb.



Ok, that makes some sense. But only if they put the light switch somewhere near the bulb. I don't want to be in an elevator with some creepy person who decides to turn the light off after the door closes.


----------



## Brigadier (Jun 29, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> I normally do, but I've temporarily misplaced (I hope) my Fenix P3D-CE. It figures that the day that I didn't have it would be the day that I really needed it. :ironic:


 

Two is one, one is none, Grasshopper.


----------



## red02 (Jun 29, 2010)

Alaric Darconville said:


> It just dawned on me that it's recommended one turns off the switch before changing a bulb.


I've heard that you should turn the power on as your screwing in the bulb so you know when the bulb makes good contact and you don't over tighten. Been doing that for a few years now without incident.


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## Monocrom (Jun 30, 2010)

Databyter said:


> OK, heres a scenario for you hard core always have a light on my person guys.


 
Your post doesn't make sense to me.:thinking:


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## LukeA (Jun 30, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Your post doesn't make sense to me.:thinking:



:drunk:

(him, not you!)


----------



## TorchBoy (Jun 30, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> LOL.
> 
> I feel honored. I think I'm the first CPFer to have the new smilie used at him. Thanks.
> 
> BTW, on a slightly more serious note, you don't know my background regarding children with learning disabilities. It's not something I've ever shared before with the CPF community, and not something I plan to. However, I will say that my previous post was not based on assumptions drawn out of thin air. Nor was it an insult against children who have genuine learning disabilities.



Translation: _I can say any insulting and offensive thing I like about children who can't yet read and their parents because I have an excuse which I'm not going to explain._

:fail: again. Do you even realise what you said - that if a child can't read they're either mentally handicapped or have incapable parents? Picking on parents based on misunderstandings of what you assume they might not be doing is bad enough, but picking on children? Pick on someone your own size, you bully.


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Jun 30, 2010)

How about you guys take it offline (CPFU Mat sounds appropriate) so we can get the thread back on topic?


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 30, 2010)

Another thing that doesn't make sense - Traffic lights with highly focused lenses where you have get to within 20 feet of them to see which color is lit up. There are a couple of these in my area and they're dangerous. You just can't tell which bulb is lit until it's almost too late.


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## Lite_me (Jun 30, 2010)

I have some new traffic lights in my area that are blinding at night. There's a couple at otherwise poorly lit intersections that are so bright and glaring, that it's hard to see anything beyond and around the signal at the intersection until you're under the light. Dangerous to say the least.


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## Illum (Jun 30, 2010)

Lite_me said:


> I'll see your two and raise you one.


:lolsign:


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## 65535 (Jul 1, 2010)

Lite_me said:


> I have some new traffic lights in my area that are blinding at night. There's a couple at otherwise poorly lit intersections that are so bright and glaring, that it's hard to see anything beyond and around the signal at the intersection until you're under the light. Dangerous to say the least.



Can you tell what color they are?


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## Monocrom (Jul 1, 2010)

TorchBoy said:


> Pick on someone your own size, you bully.


 
Bully?

I'll let my reputation on CPF speak for itself, and let the other members decide if I fit that description or not. Funny how no one else on this thread thought I was being mean to underprivilaged children.

Let me know when you're done trolling and trying to bait me into a flame war. (You might want to get some dry firewood to start off with.)

You can reply right away, or use your usual tactic of waiting a few days then trying to resurrect the same attempt at a flame war again. Doesn't matter because this will be my last reply to you in this thread. I'm not going to waste my time with some random stranger over the internet who, for some bizarre reason, has nothing better to do with his Life than twist what I posted into some sort of attack on children.

I'll let you have the last word. Go ahead. We both know you want to.

BTW, I like to kick puppies to see how far I can punt them. Cause I be evil! :devil:


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## Lite_me (Jul 1, 2010)

65535 said:


> Can you tell what color they are?


Oh yeah! It's the Green that gets ya... cause you're moving and continuing through the intersection. They're new signals and either I'm getting used to them, or some of them are beginning to dim a bit already. I've actually forgotten where I saw some of them that bothered me.


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 1, 2010)

Lite_me said:


> Oh yeah! It's the Green that gets ya... cause you're moving and continuing through the intersection. They're new signals and either I'm getting used to them, or some of them are beginning to dim a bit already. I've actually forgotten where I saw some of them that bothered me.



Those have gotta be LED signals. The turquiose-green ones I've seen are really bright. In an area that's otherwise dimly lit they can actually interfere with night vision momentarily.


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## ElectronGuru (Jul 1, 2010)

I'm familiar with 3 kinds of traffic lights:

1) old style full power bulb with plastic cover (huge power bill)

2) newish reduced power bulb with focused lens. Its 'aimed' at a single lane and is generally not good for 2+ lanes. This is a lower power, lower cost option.

3) new LED style, these are a mass of colored dots. Lower power, but high initial cost.

In newer construction and retrofit, cash strapped cities are investing in 2 and 3 to reduce the power bill for lights that are running 24/7, all over the place.


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## Illum (Jul 1, 2010)

what exactly is the purpose of a rubber ducky?

that was one of the many questions I get asked by foreigners when I travel abroad when the conversation concerned hygiene and "americanized fixtures"

I wonder the same thing now myself, its one of those things that startles me when I step on while shower in the dark draining cr123As using direct drive lights


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## TorchBoy (Jul 2, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> You can reply right away, or use your usual tactic of waiting a few days then trying to resurrect the same attempt at a flame war again.


I'm sorry, I've been really busy recently. Is that OK with you? Once again you've got the wrong idea.


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 2, 2010)

Illum said:


> what exactly is the purpose of a rubber ducky?
> 
> that was one of the many questions I get asked by foreigners when I travel abroad when the conversation concerned hygiene and "americanized fixtures". . .


 
It's mainly a way to get kids to take baths. Rubber Ducky gives them something fun to play with, while you get them clean. Makes bath time something fun & enjoyable for them. My niece and nephew love Rubber Ducky.


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Jul 2, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> It's mainly a way to get kids to take baths. Rubber Ducky gives them something fun to play with, while you get them clean. Makes bath time something fun & enjoyable for them. My niece and nephew love Rubber Ducky.


 
My son has almost as many bath toys as he has regular toys; scuba guys, ducks, turtles, boats, water flutes, and just about anything he wants to take in there that won't 'fry' or rust.


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## SmurfTacular (Jul 5, 2010)

You know what really doesn't make any since, drive through ATM's have brail on the keypads; as if any blind person would be driving!


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## Empath (Jul 5, 2010)

SmurfTacular said:


> ...... as if any blind person would be driving!



So, blind people can't be given a ride in the back seat of the car?


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## Th232 (Jul 5, 2010)

Keypads are standard parts, it's easier and simpler (and therefore cheaper) to make them all with Braille rather than have two different parts and contend with the manufacturing and logistics.


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## Launch Mini (Jul 5, 2010)

There is a Tim Hortons we visit, that has a Braille sign for the restrooms. However, this sign is ABOVE the hallway near the EXIT sign. For me to reach it, I would have my hands well above my head to reach it.


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## SmurfTacular (Jul 5, 2010)

Empath said:


> So, blind people can't be given a ride in the back seat of the car?



Haha touche!



Th232 said:


> Keypads are standard parts, it's easier and simpler (and therefore cheaper) to make them all with Braille rather than have two different parts and contend with the manufacturing and logistics.



Yeah that's what I figured. Still a funny concept though...


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## red02 (Jul 5, 2010)

Launch Mini said:


> There is a Tim Hortons we visit, that has a Braille sign for the restrooms. However, this sign is ABOVE the hallway near the EXIT sign. For me to reach it, I would have my hands well above my head to reach it.



maybe that store caters to really, really tall blind people...:thinking: There's no way I can reasonably explain this.


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## jabe1 (Jul 5, 2010)

SmurfTacular said:


> You know what really doesn't make any since, drive through ATM's have brail on the keypads; as if any blind person would be driving!



Maybe not too far off... Blind driving


----------



## jabe1 (Jul 5, 2010)

NonSenCe said:


> is it really that hard to make new cars have some torque in low rpms?



Think Electric.

Something else which makes no sense... A.D.D. self-help books. How can you sit still long enough to read it?


----------



## SmurfTacular (Jul 5, 2010)

jabe1 said:


> Maybe not too far off... Blind driving



I saw something very similar to that on MythBusters

The myth was can you instruct a blind person to drive a car. And they where able to instruct a blind person and they where driving around an abandoned neighborhood!


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## red02 (Jul 6, 2010)

Can you have a "navy" without boats? the somali navy has no ships/boats and it's chief has not been to sea for 23 years.


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## Monocrom (Jul 6, 2010)

red02 said:


> Can you have a "navy" without boats? the somali navy has no ships/boats and it's chief has not been to sea for 23 years.


 
Where I come from, that's called an Army.


----------



## red02 (Jul 8, 2010)




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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 17, 2010)

Here's another one that bugs me that I was reminded of again this morning. Maybe a LEO can answer this one.

I saw a story on TV about a mugging. The victim said "the *gentleman* jumped me and beat me severely."

WTF?! Why is the perp always referred to as a _gentleman_, regardless of how hineous the crime was? I can think of many terms thaty would be far more appropriate for the perp! :scowl:


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## red02 (Jul 17, 2010)

Posted this before, but I guess the picture was too big or just got deleted. 

Why do they call "football" football? the "ball" isn't a ball and you don't play with a foot.


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## Monocrom (Jul 17, 2010)

Why are plastic shopping bags made half as thick as you need them?

At the supermarket, the cashier always double bags without even having to ask. Why not just make them twice as thick to begin with?:shrug:


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## greenLED (Jul 17, 2010)

Gun control. Makes. no. sense.


----------



## jabe1 (Jul 17, 2010)

greenLED said:


> Gun control. Makes. no. sense.



Don't you need to control it to hit the target?


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## red02 (Jul 17, 2010)

I'm a big supporter of gun control. Unfortunately I don't get to practice as often as I should.


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## LukeA (Jul 18, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Why are plastic shopping bags made half as thick as you need them?
> 
> At the supermarket, the cashier always double bags without even having to ask. Why not just make them twice as thick to begin with?:shrug:



Why not bring your own reusable bags? Zero waste, guaranteed durability.


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 18, 2010)

LukeA said:


> Why not bring your own reusable bags? Zero waste, guaranteed durability.


 
Sounds good in theory, or for a single-guy who usually buys a bag of groceries at a time. But for a family, not so much. Week's worth of groceries can take up several bags. Even if a mom is willing to buy several reuseable bags and carry them all into the supermarket every week, the plastic bags are great for use as waste-basket lining. (But yeah, I have never seen a woman at the supermarket with several reuseable bags in her shooping cart. Not even once.)

As for tofu, don't take this the wrong way; but I really doubt it makes a good replacement for meat. If we're talking just protein, plenty of meat substitutes out there. But I've yet to find anything that matches the pure taste of meat.


----------



## LukeA (Jul 18, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> (But yeah, I have never seen a woman at the supermarket with several reuseable bags in her shooping cart. Not even once.)



Then you are shopping at the wrong stores. I see it so much that it's unremarkable.


----------



## greenLED (Jul 18, 2010)

jabe1 said:


> Don't you need to control it to hit the target?





red02 said:


> I'm a big supporter of gun control. Unfortunately I don't get to practice as often as I should.


You guys are absolutely right about the real meaning of gun control. :thumbsup:


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 18, 2010)

LukeA said:


> Then you are shopping at the wrong stores. I see it so much that it's unremarkable.


 
I doubt it.

I shop at major supermarket chains in one of the most liberal parts of the country.


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## Kestrel (Jul 20, 2010)

OK folks, I'm guessing that we're generally on _something_ like the same page with regards to gun control and political orientation, but this isn't the Underground so lets keep this thread open. 

Edit: and red02, I LOL'ed when I saw your football / handegg pic. :thumbsup:


----------



## LukeA (Jul 20, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> I doubt it.
> 
> I shop at major supermarket chains in one of the most liberal parts of the country.



You can doubt it if you want, but you're wrong if you do. :wave:


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found (Jul 20, 2010)

LukeA said:


> You can doubt it if you want, but you're wrong if you do. :wave:


 
OMG you two need to get over this. Just because reusable grocery bags have or have not caught on in certain cities does not give any kind of indication whether they have or have not caught on in other cities. For the record, my grocery shopping habits change like the wind; one week I'll be in WalMart and the next Whole Foods. Reusable bags have NOT caught on widespread in the greater St. Louis area, save for those who shop at Trader Joes. And that's just the point, even within one given city there are no common trends, reusable bag use varies from locale to locale.


----------



## Igor Porto (Jul 20, 2010)

red02 said:


>



Now it makes sense to me!


----------



## Jay R (Jul 20, 2010)

fisk-king said:


> 5. Express lane of 10 items or less. It's not 50 of 10 different items.


 
Why stores can't understand the difference between less and fewer.


----------



## was.lost.but.now.found (Jul 20, 2010)

Jay R said:


> Why stores can't understand the difference between less and fewer.


 
From dictionary.com:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/less

6. fewer: _less than a dozen. _


----------



## Illum (Jul 20, 2010)

by convention a couple means 2, a trio means 3, a quad means 4....yet when people go and pickup a couple of something...whether its donuts, soda, or beer often they return with enough to fill the back seat

It irritates me, why not just say a dozen, or a crate, or a gross?


----------



## PhotonWrangler (Jul 20, 2010)

Christmas creep. Stores are bringing out their holiday stuff earlier every year. A shopper at a Sears in Missouri found that they're already pushing their holiday stuff in July.
:thumbsdow


----------



## red02 (Jul 20, 2010)

Illum said:


> by convention a couple means 2, a trio means 3, a quad means 4....yet when people go and pickup a couple of something...whether its donuts, soda, or beer often they return with enough to fill the back seat
> 
> It irritates me, why not just say a dozen, or a crate, or a gross?



Thats interesting, I've always heard, and used "couple" to signify not many of something. I think "pair" would be 2, instead of "couple".

I could see how it can be both ways.


----------



## Illum (Jul 21, 2010)

hmm...maybe its my convention thats skewed


----------



## Monocrom (Jul 21, 2010)

Illum said:


> hmm...maybe its my convention thats skewed


 
Back when the NYC subway sytem actual had token booths that were manned by token booth clerks who sold you actual tokens, I recall asking for a dozen tokens. Clerk had no clue what I was talking about. Absolutely none. When I said "twelve," I got a huge grin out of the clerk. After selling me the tokens, I overheard the clerk laughing it up with another clerk in the booth about my request for a dozen tokens. Yeah, two ignorant morons laughing at me because I actually know what the word "dozen" means.

Oh well, now the booths are empty. Clerks been replaced by essentially vending machines. The machines can't help you if there's a crisis or emergency. But then again, many of the clerks didn't do anything either. Even something as basic as dial 911 for you. A few clerks I've encountered were decent. Most of them were useless. But yeah . . . There actually are ignorant fools out there who have no clue that couple = 2, trio = 3, or that dozen = 12. Want to really short-circuit their minds? Ask them how much is a Baker's Dozen.


----------



## JonN06 (Jul 21, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Christmas creep. Stores are bringing out their holiday stuff earlier every year. A shopper at a Sears in Missouri found that they're already pushing their holiday stuff in July.
> :thumbsdow



Yikes, few weeks ago I went with my wife to hobby lobby, and she had to look at their Christmas stuff!.! I was like this stuff is seriously already here? I mean technically it's a craft store so I guess they can have more cushion than everyone else.


----------



## Flashlight Aficionado (Jul 21, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Want to really short-circuit their minds? Ask them how much is a Baker's Dozen.



If they get the answer right, then ask them why it is not twelve. Why would a baker give you a free doughnut?


----------



## Kestrel (Jul 21, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Back when the NYC subway sytem actual had token booths that were manned by token booth clerks who sold you actual tokens, I recall asking for a dozen tokens. Clerk had no clue what I was talking about. Absolutely none. [...]


This was my EXACT experience when I was at a Safeway deli counter once. I asked for 1/3 of a pound of a sliced lunchmeat and she had absolutely no clue what I was talking about. :shakehead


----------



## Jay R (Jul 21, 2010)

was.lost.but.now.found said:


> From dictionary.com:
> 
> http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/less
> 
> 6. fewer: _less than a dozen. _


 
Ah, but you didn't read down far enough.

_"Even though less has been used before plural nouns ( less words; less men ) since the time of King Alfred, many modern usage guides say that only fewer can be used in such contexts."_

It then goes on to say that it doesn't really matter much these days but I try to keep my standards up or I'll be talking like and American and miss-pronouncing Harassment.:nana:


I took an item with a 1.99 price tag and a 50% off sticker the the till once and the lady had to get calculator out !!!!!


----------



## jtr1962 (Jul 21, 2010)

Stores pushing things out of season really makes no sense. For example, if you want to buy a winter coat in January you're out of luck. Lately though it's been ridiculous. We got a catalog a few days ago pushing _Christmas stuff_. And about a week after school ended there were "back to school" flyers. I remember how much I used to hate those when I was a kid, and that was when they didn't start until two weeks before school. Poor kids nowadays being reminded of school a mere week after it just finished.

Another thing which makes little sense is advertising in general. I find the most advertised products are generally overpriced name brands. Also, many are already very well known. Either people are already buying them or they're not. I highly doubt you can get someone to switch to a more expensive product if they're happy with an unadvertised generic version. And it's highly unlikely your existing customers would jump ship if you didn't advertise. Maybe advertising worked well enough to recoup its costs in the past. Nowadays though with saturation advertising I tend to think people just filter it out. I surf the Internet and never really see the ads. I ignore TV commercials, or use them as bathroom breaks, or just change the channel. I filter out ads in newspapers. I don't even pick up the phone unless the caller ID says it's someone I know. Seriously, what's the point of advertising? All it seems to do at this point is make products more expensive.


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## chanjyj (Jul 22, 2010)

Jay R said:


> Ah, but you didn't read down far enough.
> 
> _"Even though less has been used before plural nouns ( less words; less men ) since the time of King Alfred, many modern usage guides say that only fewer can be used in such contexts."_
> 
> ...



I don't know how it works over there in the US. Do they round up to the nearest cent/dollar? If yes I'll scratch my head.

For me though, sometimes the price shown is w/o GST (a tax) which is 7%. $1.99/2*1.07=$1.064, $1*1.07=$1.07.


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## Steve-at-Springboard (Jul 22, 2010)

And why is something sent by car or truck called a 'shipment' and things sent on a boat called 'cargo'?? And, why is the word abbreviation so loooong!

There are books full of this stuff!


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## ElectronGuru (Jul 22, 2010)

Reminds me about driving on parkways and parking on driveways.


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## Th232 (Jul 22, 2010)

Personally, for me a couple has always meant two. Especially given other uses of the word, e.g. a married couple, a coupling, &c.


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## red02 (Jul 22, 2010)

It could mean 2, but what about when someone says "I've had a couple of drinks"?


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## Illum (Jul 22, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> Ask them how much is a Baker's Dozen.



I wouldn't consider modern day bakers or clerks to know when to exercise that tidbit of knowledge but for anyone who works with the term "scrap rate" should always plan with a bakers dozen in mind. "just right" sometimes can be "very far off"


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## adamjh3 (Jul 22, 2010)

red02 said:


> It could mean 2, but what about when someone says "I've had a couple of drinks"?


 

A couple never means 2. I've learned a good method for calculating alcohol intake. 

if the number of drinks patient had is A and the number of drinks they stated they had = N, and the number of teeth they are missing = T Then A=N x (2+T2) 

:devil:


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## SmurfTacular (Jul 22, 2010)

adamjh3 said:


> if the number of drinks patient had is A and the number of drinks they stated they had = N, and the number of teeth they are missing = T Then A=N x (2+T2)
> 
> :devil:





_Tagline has been removed as violation of the rules. - Empath_


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## Jay R (Jul 23, 2010)

chanjyj said:


> I don't know how it works over there in the US. Do they round up to the nearest cent/dollar? If yes I'll scratch my head.
> 
> For me though, sometimes the price shown is w/o GST (a tax) which is 7%. $1.99/2*1.07=$1.064, $1*1.07=$1.07.


 
I'm in England and our prices always include tax.


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## Monocrom (Jul 23, 2010)

Jay R said:


> I'm in England and our prices always include tax.


 
In America, most of the time you pay sales tax. But it's not factored into the price listed. Every now and then, depending on the item, there's no tax on it. Still, someone working as a cashier should have basic math skills.

This may sound a bit harsh, but I sometimes deliberately avoid going to check-out stands that are manned by pretty cashiers. You never know. Perhaps they are good employees. Then again, perhaps their boss is a guy and simply gave them a job based on their looks alone.


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## Illum (Jul 23, 2010)

When ordering a passive component online, most search query wizards do not realize that 0.1uF = 100nF, or that 2.2nF = 2200pF = 0.0022uF, to find one lousy capacitor that can barely fit on my thumb I need to run the search query more than once:fail:
Thank god this is in SI, I would not be able to imagine the escalating complexity if it was in English


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 23, 2010)

Back when I was in school they referred to picofarads as micro-microfarads. They abbreviated it uuf. Try _that_ in your vendor's search engine! :huh:


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 7, 2010)

I was at a drugstore today (*AUGUST* 7th) and I saw a little Halloween trinket at the checkout area.


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## leeholaaho (Aug 8, 2010)

Flashlight Aficionado said:


> My favorite that I've seen is a braille sign at the elevator. I didn't notice it for a year and I am sighted.
> 
> What are the odds that a blind person will find the sign or even know that it exists? :thinking:
> 
> :naughty: I just figured out the perfect gift for a blind person. An ultra-violet flashlight. Then tell them to tell others who ask, "It's an invisible beam flashlight. Since I can't see anyway, I figured it would be perfect for me. Oh, don't stare at it, it will make you blind." Then tell them to just walk away without any other explanation.



Maybe some people are partially sighted enough to find the braille - just sayin


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## chanjyj (Aug 8, 2010)

leeholaaho said:


> Maybe some people are partially sighted enough to find the braille - just sayin



Legally blind?
If they can find the braille they can see the word EXIT I think


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 8, 2010)

leeholaaho said:


> Maybe some people are partially sighted enough to find the braille - just sayin



I know an individual with a severe vision problem. He is able to locate places in a building by counting the number of steps and feeling for landmarks. He is able to find the elevator this way. This only works for areas that he is familiar with of course.


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## Monocrom (Aug 9, 2010)

Customer service reps. with a complete lack of common sense.

Cable was out in my bedroom for over a week. Had an appointment last Thursday to fix it. Cable guy never showed up. He left just a few minutes ago. Found out why he never showed up last week. I switched over to Time Warner digital phone service nearly a year ago. Turns out that the idiots working in their customer service dept. never bothered to change the number on my account. 

The Cable guy called my old, disconnected, number. Then he contacted dispatch. They checked my account, and also called the disconnected number! Oh, no one home. Guy gets sent to the next appointment. 

I call C.S., and the rep. tells me that it is against company policy to change account info. unless the customer specifically calls and tells them to. I stayed polite, but I explained to her the stupidity of what she had just told me. If a customer has regular home phone service, and they switch over to Time Warner digital phone service; then that customer has given permission for you to change the contact number on his account. Especially if the ONLY contact number is his old home phone number.

Now that would make sense to anyone with at least half a brain. It's sad as Hell that I actually had to point out that blatant bit of common sense to someone hired to help customers.


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## Illum (Aug 10, 2010)

Its no so much as common sense as a disconnect in the communication between customer service and policy builders...sounds like a company that got locked my its own policy.

knockers by definition resembles a deadweight held on a hinge, yet some people inevitably mistaken it for something else when overhearing discussions...especially in conversations such as two carpenters discussing the advantage over a house full of studs versus a house full of tongue in grooves, sometimes I have to admit one of two things, I am surrounded by dirty minded people, or I don't have that kind of humor to consider the reaction as funny....


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## jugg2 (Aug 11, 2010)

Just started reading this thread and I know it was way back at the beginning but I can answer the question of why dairy is located at the back of the store haha.

The refrigerated stuff is towards the back so the linesets to the cases don't have to be so long. Long linesets in refrigeration is an equipment killer. 

But thats what I do haha, A/C and Ref. Sorry about the inconvenience!


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## adamjh3 (Aug 11, 2010)

Monocrom said:


> I doubt it.
> 
> I shop at major supermarket chains in one of the most liberal parts of the country.


 

My last job was at a grocery store, I was there for three years, we saw a TON of the reusable bags, it was terrible when someone would come through with two carts of groceries and their own bags, it takes forever to use those. 

Friendly word of advice, if you DO purchase reusable bags, buy something that has a reasonable amount of rigidity that will stay open on its own, also, keep them folded and not bunched up. This makes it easier on the bagger and cashier and will get you out of the store more quickly 

-Adam :thumbsup:


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 11, 2010)

jugg2 said:


> Just started reading this thread and I know it was way back at the beginning but I can answer the question of why dairy is located at the back of the store haha.
> 
> The refrigerated stuff is towards the back so the linesets to the cases don't have to be so long. Long linesets in refrigeration is an equipment killer.



Thank you, Jugg. What is a lineset? Does this refer to the electrical wiring or the refrigeration plumbing?


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## Monocrom (Aug 11, 2010)

I don't understand why colleges that you're seriously considering attending have an I-don't-care attitude towards answering basic questions.

In my case, I contacted Mercy college about their Occupational Therapy Assistant course. I only had one question. Just wanted to know if I had enough credits from my old college days to jump right into the program, or if I'd have to take pre-requisite courses first. 

Told by the young woman who finally bothered to call me back that the folks who can help me with that, they won't even look at my old transcripts unless I sign up as a student first. (Yeah, that makes sense. )

Made sure I heard her right, then decided to go with my 2nd choice of medical professions and Learning Institutions. The folks at Sanford-Brown were not only more professional, but they went over my transcripts with me over the phone. And definitely didn't insist that I sign up as a student before doing so.


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## m3flies (Aug 11, 2010)

Attorney at Law. As opposed to what? Attorney at Plumbing? No offense to Plumbers. When a leaking pipe arises, you're a Godsend.


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## Empath (Aug 11, 2010)

There are other attorneys.


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## m3flies (Aug 11, 2010)

Empath said:


> There are other attorneys.


Apparently there are. I assumed when most people thought Attorney, they thought Lawyer.


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## jugg2 (Aug 12, 2010)

PhotonWrangler

A lineset refers to the refrigeration piping as you accurately guessed! I should have explained that better in my first post. My apologies 

I haven't posted a lot lately and I'm just getting back into the loop of things around here! It's so good to be back!


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Aug 15, 2010)

jugg2 said:


> PhotonWrangler
> 
> A lineset refers to the refrigeration piping as you accurately guessed! I should have explained that better in my first post. My apologies
> 
> I haven't posted a lot lately and I'm just getting back into the loop of things around here! It's so good to be back!



How is this problem solved in high rise buildings? I thought the essence of an A/C unit was the same as a refrigeration unit, and that all compressors would be on the roof.


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## 65535 (Aug 15, 2010)

was.lost.but.now.found said:


> How is this problem solved in high rise buildings? I thought the essence of an A/C unit was the same as a refrigeration unit, and that all compressors would be on the roof.



The A/C (or any cooling unit) is designed to move heat from one location (where you wanted chilled) to another area (where heat is of a problem).

You'll have to get the high rise answer from a pro, but as long as you have a path for the heat you can have the compressor anywhere that you can cool off the condenser coils. So having outdoor air ducted to the compressor and coils could be a solution.


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## [email protected] (Aug 15, 2010)

Barbarian said:


> The only time I don't have a flashlight on me is when I am in the shower.
> 
> I'm sure there are members here that take their lights into the shower, but I don't. :candle:



*+1* that's why we need them to conform to standard IPX8 :thumbsup:


*OP* - Finding yourself in a elevator with no working illumination (and no flashlight) sounds like the opening scene of a late night horror movie... BTW what kind of a flash-a-holic walks around without 1 light on them?


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 15, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> *OP* - Finding yourself in a elevator with no working illumination (and no flashlight) sounds like the opening scene of a late night horror movie... BTW what kind of a flash-a-holic walks around without 1 light on them?



A dumba$$ flashaholic! I was between EDCs at that time - couldn't locate my P3d-CE and hadn't bought my next one yet. And as Murphy would have it I didn't have a keychain squeeze light with me either. 


On the bright side, it gave me a reason to replace my P3D with a better one.


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## jugg2 (Aug 15, 2010)

Most large buildings use a chilled water system to provide A/C so freon flow and oil return are not issues.


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 16, 2010)

Why do teenagers walk down the middle of the street instead of the sidewalk?


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## Monocrom (Aug 16, 2010)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Why do teenagers walk down the middle of the street instead of the sidewalk?


 
Because their parents never bothered to emphasize good manners to them.


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## AMD64Blondie (Aug 16, 2010)

Air conditioning not installed in every apartment of an apartment building.(The hallways have A/C,but the individual apartments don't). Eek!! The temperature is supposed to hit 98 today(Monday) here in Portland,OR.
I'm seriously thinking about having a window A/C installed.It would be more money/month,but today has me slightly crazy from the heat.It's already 64 degrees F at 4:00 AM.Bah humbug!!


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## jtr1962 (Aug 16, 2010)

AMD64Blondie said:


> Air conditioning not installed in every apartment of an apartment building.(The hallways have A/C,but the individual apartments don't). Eek!! The temperature is supposed to hit 98 today(Monday) here in Portland,OR.
> I'm seriously thinking about having a window A/C installed.It would be more money/month,but today has me slightly crazy from the heat.It's already 64 degrees F at 4:00 AM.Bah humbug!!


I've never understood this myself. Why don't these apartment buildings have central air conditioning instead of every apartment having a window unit? In the long run that would cut the energy costs in half, if not more, while keeping the apartments at the same temperature. Even in brand new buildings you see window units. It makes absolutely no sense. Office buildings are always centrally heated and cooled. It should be no different for apartment buildings. In fact, it should be required, especially in new buildings. Moreover, there are tenant regulations regarding the temperatures a building must be kept at during winter, but not in summer. Again, it makes no sense. Excessively high temperatures can be even more detrimental than cold ones. You can always put on more clothing to keep warm. With heat, past a point, nothing more you can do.


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## Monocrom (Aug 16, 2010)

jtr1962 said:


> I've never understood this myself. Why don't these apartment buildings have central air conditioning instead of every apartment having a window unit? In the long run that would cut the energy costs in half, if not more, while keeping the apartments at the same temperature. Even in brand new buildings you see window units. It makes absolutely no sense. Office buildings are always centrally heated and cooled. It should be no different for apartment buildings. In fact, it should be required, especially in new buildings. Moreover, there are tenant regulations regarding the temperatures a building must be kept at during winter, but not in summer. Again, it makes no sense. Excessively high temperatures can be even more detrimental than cold ones. You can always put on more clothing to keep warm. With heat, past a point, nothing more you can do.


 
Makes perfect sense from a monetary point of view. Central air in an office building means all the workers are comfortable enough to work efficiently for their boss. They're making money for him, so he provides them with plenty of cool air. 

In an apartment building, central air becomes the responsibility of the landlord. Having it installed costs more than having each tenant buy their own, seperate, window unit. If the central air system breaks down, landlord is responsible for getting it fixed. Major bucks. If an individual window unit breaks down, that's the responsibility of the tenant who owns that unit. While things such as heat and running water are legally classed as the responsibility of the landlord to provide them, A/C (ironically) is not. It's not classed as a necessity. Landlord isn't responsible for providing A/C, so why should they take on the extra expense? 

Maybe there are decent landlords out there. But in NYC, we have the type of scumbags who refused to released personal items of 9/11 victims to their families, until they were paid for all the months left on the lease. Not just 9/11. You die, your estate gets sued for back rent. Nevermind the fact that if you own property in NYC, you'll have about as difficult a time renting it as a crack dealer would have peddling his drugs in the inner city. 

Still, considering the type of low-life scumbags landlords tend to be, I prefer having my own window unit. Could you imagine how long it would take a landlord to fix a malfunctioning central air unit? Yeah, you could call the City. Report him. Force him to comply. But that's still going to take at least a few days. If the A/C in my bedroom malfunctions, I can get it replaced the next day. Possibly even that day.


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## jtr1962 (Aug 16, 2010)

Agreed that most NYC landlords are lower life forms than the cockroaches infesting their buildings. Still, quite a few rental units include utilities. Being that central air has way lower operating costs than window units, I tend to think it would be in the landlords interest to install it when utilities are included.

On the downside, sure, it's a pain when it breaks. However, in this instance that means the entire building is hot, so the landlord will have hundreds of screaming tenants. Hard to ignore that.

And yes, in my opinion A/C should definitely be classed as a necessity. You'll see how quickly the landlord installs central air if that were the case. Incidentally, the same system can also provide heat in the winter, saving maintenance on a boiler. Yes, it's a huge capital investment, but also one which has a payback time of a few years. Ditto for things like triple pane windows. The reason you don't see as much retrofitting of these things is the skewed economics of city housing. When the tenants pay for heating/cooling, the landlord obviously has no incentive to make the building more efficient. When the landlord includes these things with the rent, the tenants have no self-interest in being conservative. In fact, they likely view running the A/C 24/7 as a way to stick it to their landlord. I say have the tenants/landlord split the costs 50/50. This gives both an incentive to upgrade.


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 16, 2010)

jugg2 said:


> PhotonWrangler
> 
> A lineset refers to the refrigeration piping as you accurately guessed! I should have explained that better in my first post. My apologies
> 
> I haven't posted a lot lately and I'm just getting back into the loop of things around here! It's so good to be back!



Thanks for the explanation, Jugg. And welcome back to CPF! :wave:


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 25, 2011)

Here's another puzzler that I learned today...

We have an older vehicle that needed a replacement gas cap, so we went to the parts store and asked for a gas cap for a 1999 model vehicle. This is the model year that it was advertised (and sold) as.

Got the part and discovered that it didn't fit, so we went back to the store to straighten it out. The clerk said that it must be a 1998 vehicle, and asked us what model year was on the sticker inside the door. It turns out that the sticker said it was a 1998 model, which is the year that it was actually built, not the year that it was advertised as being. And when we tried the 1998 version of the cap, it fit perfectly.

So it kind of makes sense to me that the 1998 part fit, but it makes no sense in terms of determine which replacement parts are actually correct for any given model year. And it certainly doesn't seem fair to consumers to be causing this confusion in the first place!


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## will (Jun 25, 2011)

jugg2 said:


> Just started reading this thread and I know it was way back at the beginning but I can answer the question of why dairy is located at the back of the store haha.
> 
> The refrigerated stuff is towards the back so the linesets to the cases don't have to be so long. Long linesets in refrigeration is an equipment killer.


 
The reason dairy is at the back of the store - MARKETING - 
Same reason the Pharmacy is at the back of the store.
You have to walk through the store, this in turn will get a certain amount of impulse buying. 
Same reason high profit items are located at eye level on shelves. 

I don't know from Linesets, but most stores have the freezers in the middle of the store. The cooling units are generally mounted on the roof, this is in single story buildings.


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## Monocrom (Jun 26, 2011)

The way some folks function with a lack of common sense.

Two examples:

1) Guy on youtube reviewing the old-fashioned, plastic, U.S. military canteen. He gave it good marks overall. But actually took off points because it started to melt when he put it right by his camp-fire. Yeah . . . He took points off because a *plastic* canteen began to melt when it was placed right by an open flame. 

2) Guy standing next to me at a Sporting Goods store while looking at Travel Wallets. His girlfriend standing right next to him. He begins to laugh and tell her that those wallets are worthless. He then tells her that his father advised him to get one before he went to Europe on vacation a few years back. He told her that every time he had to pay for something, he ended up reaching down into his pants and pulling out money. He felt foolish. That's what he told her. And she didn't even correct him. His dad probably just assumed that his son would use some common sense to figure out how a Travel Wallet actually works. 

What honestly doesn't make sense to me is how these folks and others like them are able to function day-to-day with an absolute lack of common sense. :shakehead


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## RBR (Jun 26, 2011)

*

...

What honestly doesn't make sense to me is how these folks and others like them are able to function day-to-day with an absolute lack of common sense.* :shakehead





Here are a few samples that not all of them do.

:devil:

http://www.darwinawards.com/

But you are right, sometimes it´s strange how some of these folks come through the day. 
On the other side these guys are doing something for the economy, feeding whole branches like lawyers, reviewers and product liability specialists/departments. 

Cheers

RBR


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## jtr1962 (Jun 26, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> 1) Guy on youtube reviewing the old-fashioned, plastic, U.S. military canteen. He gave it good marks overall. But actually took off points because it started to melt when he put it right by his camp-fire. Yeah . . . He took points off because a *plastic* canteen began to melt when it was placed right by an open flame.


I might have also, not because it melted when placed by the fire, but because a canteen shouldn't be made out of plastic in the first place. It's a given that in the field sometimes the water you find will be questionable, and you'll need to sterilize it by boiling it. Easy to do with a metal canteen held over a fire, impossible with a plastic canteen. But yes, stupid to even put it by the fire in the first place (unless he was too dumb to notice the canteen was made of plastic).

Aother thing which doesn't make sense, and which I'm becoming increasingly annoyed at, is the next quarter mentality in the business world nowadays. It seems like nobody plans in terms of years or decades any more. It's always what expenses can we cut now so we show more profit next quarter, even if it guts the company and causes it to fail 3 years down the road.


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## RBR (Jun 26, 2011)

Employees holding shares or investing mediately in the stock market do not make sense to me, at least as long as they work for a stock corporation.

They crack the whip on their own backs / saw themselves on the limbs they are sitting on.

Cheers

RBR


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## Monocrom (Jun 26, 2011)

RBR said:


> On the other side these guys are doing something for the economy, feeding whole branches like lawyers, reviewers and product liability specialists/departments.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> RBR


 
More like these guys are simply promoting a sue-happy atmosphere, and getting rich off of their own lack of common sense, or even stupidity. When a company gets sued and has to settle out of court, they don't just eat the cost of the lawsuit. They often raise prices or fire employees (or both) to make up the difference. Fired employees don't spend as much as they used to when they had jobs. A reduction of consumer dollars. Raised prices speak for themselves.


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## Monocrom (Jun 26, 2011)

jtr1962 said:


> I might have also, not because it melted when placed by the fire, but because a canteen shouldn't be made out of plastic in the first place. It's a given that in the field sometimes the water you find will be questionable, and you'll need to sterilize it by boiling it. Easy to do with a metal canteen held over a fire, impossible with a plastic canteen. But yes, stupid to even put it by the fire in the first place (unless he was too dumb to notice the canteen was made of plastic).


 
To me, it's like taking off points because the Smart Car won't hold you and three of your friends in comfort. Like taking points off because your new Corvette gets horrible fuel-economy. It's not as though either one is being sold as something it's not. Walk into any surplus store, pick up a G.I. issue canteen, or not even that much. Just look at it. It's blatantly obvious if it's the plastic or the metal version. If you just want to toss in a couple of water-purification tabs, the plastic is fine. If boiling is preferred, you get the metal one. But you don't take off points from the plastic one because it's plastic and you get surprised that it behaves like plastic when put near an open flame.

If your girlfriend or wife hates spiders and you know that, you don't get one of those plastic ones, put it on the bed, and then get to be surprised when she walks in and starts screaming her head off. Really?? You were surprised? Doesn't work that way. You also don't get to be surprised if she has a bad temper, and decides to slice up something other than dinner after the little joke you pulled. 

Plastic spider: $1.50
Emergency Room bill: $3,150
Happy wife: Priceless.


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## RBR (Jun 27, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> More like these guys are simply promoting a sue-happy atmosphere, and getting rich off of their own lack of common sense, or even stupidity. When a company gets sued and has to settle out of court, they don't just eat the cost of the lawsuit. They often raise prices or fire employees (or both) to make up the difference. Fired employees don't spend as much as they used to when they had jobs. A reduction of consumer dollars. Raised prices speak for themselves.


 

This has been meant more in a sarcastic way.

:wave:

These things are a result of the US jurisdiction and legislation in my opinion, which is directly encouraging such attitudes/behaviours/calculations.

So the lack of common sense is directly expedited / cultivated by this system, being a bonenhead simply pays sometimes.

Cheers

RBR


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## beerwax (Jun 27, 2011)

a plastic canteen can take small knocks without denting so may look better after some time in the field. its probably less likely to crack than alluminium and less likely to get a deformed opening leading to inability to seal. and its more affordable. so while i understand taking points off because its not alloy some points might need to be added back because its plastic. there are some very good plastics out there.


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## Monocrom (Jun 28, 2011)

beerwax said:


> a plastic canteen can take small knocks without denting so may look better after some time in the field. its probably less likely to crack than alluminium and less likely to get a deformed opening leading to inability to seal. and its more affordable. so while i understand taking points off because its not alloy some points might need to be added back because its plastic. there are some very good plastics out there.


 
Indeed. 

Main point is, you don't take points off because of the nature of the thing. If you like natural blondes with blue eyes, you don't ask out the cute red-head with green eyes. At the same time, you don't treat her like garbage because she wasn't born a blonde or doesn't have blue eyes.


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## beerwax (Jun 29, 2011)

.........


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 2, 2011)

For the most part it seems that foods taste just about like I think they'd taste like based on their smell. But I don't understand why coffee never tastes anywhere near as good as a fresh ground bag of beans smells. If coffee tasted as good as it smells I'd probably drink nothing else!


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jul 3, 2011)

Occupancy signs over bathroom doors in Carl's Jr's. It's funny looking at the bathroom door and reading "Occupancy limit: 93" above it.

A sign I saw in Mira Mesa, CA that reads "No bike riding rollerblading skateboarding dogs".


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 4, 2011)

Hooked on Fenix said:


> Occupancy signs over bathroom doors in Carl's Jr's. It's funny looking at the bathroom door and reading "Occupancy limit: 93" above it.
> 
> A sign I saw in Mira Mesa, CA that reads "No bike riding rollerblading skateboarding dogs".


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jul 4, 2011)

Poop burgers 10-20 times the cost of real beef burgers. Think I'm kidding? It was on Fox News.


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 10, 2011)

Back to school sales that start up in early July. I saw one yesterday. They just got _out_ of school for pete's sake.


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## KC2IXE (Jul 10, 2011)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Back to school sales that start up in early July. I saw one yesterday. They just got _out_ of school for pete's sake.



Lots of kids go year round now, plus there are kids in summer school either 
1)Because they are making up failed classes 
or
2) Like my daughter, getting ahaead on classes. Her new HS allows incoming freshmen to take up to 3 classes the summer before their normal freshman year. These are the classes in Arts Appreciation and Health ed that all NY state students are required to take, and most kids take as Jrs - They allow this, so that the kids have an extra couple of slots during their Jr year to take AP classes if they wish (BTW - the 'average' number of AP classes a stundent comes out of her HS with thses days is 3.7. I met one last year who was coming out with 9, PLUS a 'real' college course taken at the local college. Hey JTR1962 - yes, it's our old school)


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## Burgess (Jul 10, 2011)

I remember it well . . . .


I always HATED the Back-to-School ads which appeared in Mid-August,

cuz' it was a reminder that I had to go Back to School the day after Labor Day ! ! !




Now -- the kids hafta' return to school in Mid-August !

:sick2:
_


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## gcbryan (Jul 11, 2011)

I know people hate the online grammar Nazi (I'm not one)  but under things that don't make sense...why do so many people use "an" instead of "a" when they use it and it's not in front of a vowel?

"I just put an XM-L in my light"? X isn't a vowel so you don't need "an". It doesn't make sense


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## mvyrmnd (Jul 11, 2011)

gcbryan said:


> I know people hate the online grammar Nazi (I'm not one)  but under things that don't make sense...why do so many people use "an" instead of "a" when they use it and it's not in front of a vowel?
> 
> "I just put an XM-L in my light"? X isn't a vowel so you don't need "an". It doesn't make sense


 
Because they write as if they were speaking - "An ex-em-el"

Many, many people have forgotten the difference between written and spoken English, assuming they're competent with either to begin with.


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## Brewer (Jul 11, 2011)

Along the lines of the OP: Airwolf and Blue Thunder (both awesome helicopters and TV shows from the 80's) had 'silent modes' that allowed them to sneak up on baddies.

I was never sure under what circumstances you'd want to switch that OFF...


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## Brewer (Jul 11, 2011)

gcbryan said:


> I know people hate the online grammar Nazi (I'm not one)  but under things that don't make sense...why do so many people use "an" instead of "a" when they use it and it's not in front of a vowel?
> 
> "I just put an XM-L in my light"? X isn't a vowel so you don't need "an". It doesn't make sense



Can't... Resist... Grammar... Nazi... Urge...

It is actually totally correct to do that, because it is not about whether the next word begins with a vowel or a consonant on paper, but the sound one would form if speaking it.

You wouldn't say 'an user' or 'an Ewing', any more than you would say 'a x-ray'. Initialisms can be a bit of a grey area, as they can be pronounced differently depending on whether the reader is likely to read it as a string of individual letters (CIA) or an acronym (AWOL). You could argue that 'a LEO' and 'an LEO' are equally valid, but unless you are pronouncing XM-L as 'zemel' you'd really have to say (and write) 'an XM-L'.

Sorry, i must go and annex something.


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## Brewer (Jul 11, 2011)

double post iphumble


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## jtr1962 (Jul 12, 2011)

KC2IXE said:


> 2) Like my daughter, getting ahaead on classes. Her new HS allows incoming freshmen to take up to 3 classes the summer before their normal freshman year. These are the classes in Arts Appreciation and Health ed that all NY state students are required to take, and most kids take as Jrs - They allow this, so that the kids have an extra couple of slots during their Jr year to take AP classes if they wish (BTW - the 'average' number of AP classes a stundent comes out of her HS with thses days is 3.7. I met one last year who was coming out with 9, PLUS a 'real' college course taken at the local college. Hey JTR1962 - yes, it's our old school)


Good idea actually, plus she gets acquainted with the school ahead of time. And 9 AP courses is really impressive. Just taking 2 in my senior year was hard enough if I recall.


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 12, 2011)

Why won't banks place surveillance cameras at eye level at the cashier windows? I'm looking at another article tonight about a holdup, and as usual the perp is wearing a hat and his face is obscured by it. Haven't they figured out that hat wearing is a pattern with the bad guys? With the availability of inexpensive pinhole cameras, I don't understand why they're not using them.


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## Monocrom (Jul 12, 2011)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Why won't banks place surveillance cameras at eye level at the cashier windows? I'm looking at another article tonight about a holdup, and as usual the perp is wearing a hat and his face is obscured by it. Haven't they figured out that hat wearing is a pattern with the bad guys? With the availability of inexpensive pinhole cameras, I don't understand why they're not using them.



If banks wanted to, they could issue one to every teller. Either concealed in a top button or in a pen clipped to a top pocket.

But to a bean-counter, the added expense is likely seen as not too cost effective for the benefits gotten.


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 12, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> If banks wanted to, they could issue one to every teller. Either concealed in a top button or in a pen clipped to a top pocket.



I agree. Fro that matter they can build them right into the counter surface facing the customer.



> But to a bean-counter, the added expense is likely seen as not too cost effective for the benefits gotten.


 
This is what doesn't make sense. The labor cost alone of a single robbery investigation would likely pay for them.


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## Monocrom (Jul 12, 2011)

True.

But to a bean-counter you're talking about a _possible _expense that might happen. (Even though it's a likely one.)

Compared to one that will happen. (Having to issue such cameras to each teller.)


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## lasermax (Jul 12, 2011)

Paying tax's where does it say in the amendment that we have to pay tax's


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## PhotonWrangler (Jul 12, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> True.
> 
> But to a bean-counter you're talking about a _possible _expense that might happen. (Even though it's a likely one.)
> 
> Compared to one that will happen. (Having to issue such cameras to each teller.)



It wasn't that long ago that many businesses had the same attitude about backup power. Why invest in a UPS, generator and transfer switch if the power only _might_ fail? Now that most businesses rely at least in part on information technology, they've learned that the cost of recovery from a blackout (multiple blackouts, actually) can be much worse that they originally thought. Fortunately it's pretty routine for large companies to invest in power backup and monitoring systems now. In my mind it's the same lesson with bank surveillance systems; it is a necessary item, both for deterrence and remediation.


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 4, 2011)

Shark Week on Discovery Channel. Is it _really_ that popular? Seems to me that it's the same story every time; sharks in water, some are dangerous, some are not. Get into shark infested waters and you might get bit. This merits a whole week of non-stop sharkapalooza each year?


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## Illum (Aug 4, 2011)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Why is there always a "Please use other door" door? :duh2:



Some doors are meant to open out only from the inside. Yet many of these doors require you to push until the alarm sounds, wait 10 seconds in order to open the door. If there's a fire, do you realize how much people will die in 10 seconds if there was a fire and it got so hot in there it could broil lobsters?


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## brembo (Aug 4, 2011)

PhotonWrangler said:


> For the most part it seems that foods taste just about like I think they'd taste like based on their smell. But I don't understand why coffee never tastes anywhere near as good as a fresh ground bag of beans smells. If coffee tasted as good as it smells I'd probably drink nothing else!


 
When I was a wee one, my mom used a spendy night creme that smelled like cotton candy, based on almonds I think. It smelled like heaven and I wanted to eat some. She knew this and stuffed it way back in the closet to keep my mitts off it. I remember VIVIDLY the evening that I discovered my arms would reach it. OH JOY! Big dollop on fingers...right into mouth. Yeah, had alum in it, lots in fact. So it puckered up my mouth(or felt as such), tasted like crap AND mom watched the whole thing. She was in tears from laughter.


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## Monocrom (Aug 5, 2011)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Shark Week on Discovery Channel. Is it _really_ that popular? Seems to me that it's the same story every time; sharks in water, some are dangerous, some are not. Get into shark infested waters and you might get bit. This merits a whole week of non-stop sharkapalooza each year?


 
This is why I no longer watch the program "Locked up Abroad" anymore. Completely predictable. Same thing, different idiots, different country where they do something stupid and get busted. I loved the show at first because there was some variety to it. My favorite one is the guy who was vacationing abroad, met a dude with whom he became fast friends with. Guy ended up getting kidnapped by his oops-turned-out-to-be-a-vicious-terrorist new friend. Now that turned out to be an inspiring episode.

Now, it's just some dude or chick who wanted to make fast money. Too lazy to get a real job. Meets an international drug dealer who very easily convinces them to be a drug mule. Mule gets busted at the airport. Always at the airport. Dumb-*** Mule finds out that other nations take illegal drugs FAR more seriously than their "progressive" home-nation. (Usually America or England.) They get sentenced to long prison terms in prisons that make the ones in America and England look like 5 Star hotels. Then they tell everyone how generally stupid they were for agreeing to smuggle drugs out of a foreign country. 

That's every single episode now. What doesn't make sense to me is why the show is still on the Air.


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 7, 2011)

Illum said:


> Some doors are meant to open out only from the inside. Yet many of these doors require you to push until the alarm sounds, wait 10 seconds in order to open the door. If there's a fire, do you realize how much people will die in 10 seconds if there was a fire and it got so hot in there it could broil lobsters?



I agree completely! If there's a fire there's no time to figure out a series of steps to open a door. The goal is to get the hell out of there as fast as possible.

As far as doors that are only meant to be opened from the inside though, I don't understand why many of them have handles on the _outside_. What is it with this society and doors? :thinking:


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## Illum (Aug 7, 2011)

What the building owners interests are have the tendency to conflict contractors interests... Its far easier to buy a door with a pair of handles than a door with just one right? you'd figure it'll be cheaper, but then you'd figure wrong. :thinking: :tired:


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 7, 2011)

Clothing with fake pockets. If they're going to go to the trouble of sticking on a fake pocket, why can't they make it a real one? Or at least leave the fake one off and knock a few cents off the price. They are useless appendages.


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## Monocrom (Aug 7, 2011)

PhotonWrangler said:


> Clothing with fake pockets. If they're going to go to the trouble of sticking on a fake pocket, why can't they make it a real one? Or at least leave the fake one off and knock a few cents off the price. They are useless appendages.


 
I had fake pockets on my security guard uniform. Ironically, at one site, a couple of the pockets were on my pants. Truth is, unless you're working at an airport, a security uniform is barely a notch above that of a Halloween costume. Basically just a human scarecrow with eyeballs. Even for the sake of a professional appearence, fake pockets never made sense to me either. You go to the trouble of stitching a fake one, you can put in more than a half-assed effort and make it real.


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## beerwax (Aug 8, 2011)

yes its all a little perplexing when you go to put something in your pocket and you just cant. you fumble and fiddle and then try again and then concentrate on what should be a routine action and 'what the - theres no pocket - why would they do that ?' cheers.


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## PhotonWrangler (Aug 9, 2011)

Contact lenses with diamonds in them.


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## soundersfan (Aug 18, 2011)

m3flies said:


> Attorney at Law. As opposed to what? Attorney at Plumbing? No offense to Plumbers. When a leaking pipe arises, you're a Godsend.


 
haha my friend who just went off to law school got a great laugh out of this!


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## Satanta (Aug 18, 2011)

Well, on things that don't make sense...In a toothbrush/toothpaste commercial they show people brushing their teeth, right? A razor commercial they show people shaving, right? A restaraunt commercial shows people eating, right?

So how come a tampon commercial shows women _jogging_?


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## Monocrom (Aug 21, 2011)

Can't show that type of commercial without showing a woman's peach. 

Hell, a few decades ago, they would show a bra in a commercial simply by having it float through the air. As if it was worn by the invisible woman. Actually showing women wearing them, that's relatively new. 

Also, how come you never seen Mexicans in a Taco Bell commercial?


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## shao.fu.tzer (Aug 21, 2011)

Why are Asian girls in commercials always portrayed as having white, black, or Hispanic boyfriends?

Why can't I go to the grocery store without feeling like I'm on an episode of American Gladiators, swiftly dodging old ladies and throngs of illegitimate children as I desperately try to grab everything on my list before contracting some new and undiscovered disease? Piles of unknown substances litter the floor and although I THINK I'm being careful I always somehow manage to either step on a piece of fresh bubble gum or a poop smear from a diaper that looks like it's been kicked around more than a ball in the World Cup...

Maybe I'm getting old...


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## Satanta (Aug 21, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> Also, how come you never seen Mexicans in a Taco Bell commercial?



Well, bein' from Texas I can honestly say I never met a Mexican, Hispanic or Latino who would actually _eat_ at Taco Bell. 





shao.fu.tzer said:


> Why are Asian girls in commercials always portrayed as having white, black, or Hispanic boyfriends?
> 
> Why can't I go to the grocery store without feeling like I'm on an episode of American Gladiators, swiftly dodging old ladies and throngs of illegitimate children as I desperately try to grab everything on my list before contracting some new and undiscovered disease? Piles of unknown substances litter the floor and although I THINK I'm being careful I always somehow manage to either step on a piece of fresh bubble gum or a poop smear from a diaper that looks like it's been kicked around more than a ball in the World Cup...
> 
> Maybe I'm getting old...



Well, on the first note it would not be PC as Caucasians are the new terrorists according to Napolitano or however her name is spelled.

On the second part I definitely do not want to shop where you do but maybe try another store? 

Oh wait, you must be shopping at Wally World.


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## Monocrom (Aug 21, 2011)

Satanta said:


> Well, bein' from Texas I can honestly say I never met a Mexican, Hispanic or Latino who would actually _eat_ at Taco Bell.



Hmmm . . . Must admit, that's an excellent point right there.


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## Illum (Aug 23, 2011)

shao.fu.tzer said:


> Why are Asian girls in commercials always portrayed as having white, black, or Hispanic boyfriends?



I think there's something with us Asian guys that are aesthetically lacking to be considered as a valuable asset in commercials. Don't be too judgmental though, if one saw the world through the adult entertainment industry they'll have a hard time believing we exist. 

On a more serious note, why did my T-shirt made in Vietnam marked machine washable disintegrate mid-cycle? spent a good half of this afternoon pulling balls of cotton out of everything else that was in the load. :shakehead


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## iapyx (Aug 23, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> Hell, a few decades ago, they would show a bra in a commercial simply by having it float through the air. As if it was worn by the invisible woman. Actually showing women wearing them, that's relatively new.


 
Monocrom, that depends on where you are on this planet. Or where you were on this planet decades ago... 
I'm in Europe  Now thinking of the FA commercial. But that's about soap. hehe


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## RBR (Aug 23, 2011)

Yes, the first naked FA-girl has been on TV in the 70´s of the last century over here.

We could see her in the early evening commercials as there have been no commecials 

after 20:00 in Germany at that time.

Cheers

RBR


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## Monocrom (Aug 24, 2011)

Illum said:


> I think there's something with us Asian guys that are aesthetically lacking to be considered as a valuable asset in commercials. Don't be too judgmental though, if one saw the world through the adult entertainment industry they'll have a hard time believing we exist.
> 
> On a more serious note, why did my T-shirt made in Vietnam marked machine washable disintegrate mid-cycle? spent a good half of this afternoon pulling balls of cotton out of everything else that was in the load. :shakehead


 
1 ~ Asian girls are just freaking adorable.

2 ~ Your shirt was counterfeit, and actually Made in China.


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## Monocrom (Aug 24, 2011)

iapyx said:


> Monocrom, that depends on where you are on this planet. Or where you were on this planet decades ago...
> I'm in Europe  Now thinking of the FA commercial. But that's about soap. hehe



Oh you wacky Europeans . . . I've seen some of the shows you have . . . that leave nothing to the imagination.


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## StarHalo (Aug 24, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> 1 ~ Asian girls are just freaking adorable.


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## iapyx (Aug 24, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> Oh you wacky Europeans . . . I've seen some of the shows you have . . . that leave nothing to the imagination.


 
Nah, you rather have a bra floating in the air?:nana:
We all know that the US hosts the biggest industries of you know what.
Europeans or Americans, we're all wacky.


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## JacobJones (Aug 24, 2011)

Illum said:


> I think there's something with us Asian guys that are aesthetically lacking to be considered as a valuable asset in commercials.


 
Radox have an advert for shower gel with an Asian couple in.


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## Monocrom (Aug 24, 2011)

StarHalo said:


>


 
Nope! Still adorable. But look how hard they have to try to come close to not being so. 

Also . . . an advert featuring an Asian couple. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX3Idrspu4U


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## Empath (Aug 24, 2011)

The thread has outlived its topic. It's closed.


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