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Community => The Lounge => Topic started by: Ultimate Paragon on June 29, 2014, 03:04:31 pm

Title: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ultimate Paragon on June 29, 2014, 03:04:31 pm
Here's a thread for general questions.

I'll start.  If you put a bunch of guns in an oil drum, and bury the barrel in the woods for two years, would the guns still work?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Cerim Treascair on June 29, 2014, 03:06:40 pm
depends.  If it's air and water-tight, then yes, they will.  Might need some oil and a cleaning when you take them out, but they'd still fire.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Witchyjoshy on June 29, 2014, 05:33:34 pm
An FQA FAQ?  Sure.

What's a good way to deal with mosquitos inside the house when the spiders in your room suck at catching bugs?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Eiki-mun on June 29, 2014, 05:36:48 pm
As a pizza delivery driver, I'm driving around a lot, turning my car off and on again repeatedly. And I've been wondering - is it a better idea to leave my car on when delivering, or to turn it off and rev it up again? As in, which one saves more gas?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Cerim Treascair on June 29, 2014, 05:49:25 pm
If you leave your vehicle off for longer than half an hour, it does actually burn more fuel initially, due to having to cycle fully through the system.  It's cheaper to idle.

For the mosquitoes, Magus, there's a particular spray bug poison that my roomie uses with a 4 gallon backpack setup.  We haven't had to deal with a single live bug in the house save two stray flies.  No stinkbugs, no house centipedes, no ants... it's great.  I'll check on that stuff and get back to you.

EDIT:  He says it's 'permethren' (per-me-thren) that he uses.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ironchew on June 30, 2014, 03:15:55 pm
As a pizza delivery driver, I'm driving around a lot, turning my car off and on again repeatedly. And I've been wondering - is it a better idea to leave my car on when delivering, or to turn it off and rev it up again? As in, which one saves more gas?

I took a look at the California Energy Commission's publication on energy losses in a vehicle (http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/consumer_tips/vehicle_energy_losses.html). Idling is a significant loss of energy at 17.2% of the input, and you would probably notice the savings from a smart-idling system that turns the engine off when the car is still, but by far the largest loss of energy comes from the internal combustion engine's inefficient mechanical output (62.4% loss, usually), which you would immediately notice if you synthesized fuel as energy storage. Electrical motors are far more efficient (< 20% loss for DC motors).
EDIT: According to the source from the U.S. Department of Energy (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/atv.shtml), stop-and-go driving increases the engine losses to 71-75%.

Question: Does God real?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist on June 30, 2014, 03:49:23 pm
Question: Does God real?

They need to do way instain god> who kill thier jebus. becuse these jebus can't frigth back?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Zygarde on June 30, 2014, 04:18:12 pm
Question: What's the best microphone to record with and is under $200?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Katsuro on June 30, 2014, 05:05:32 pm
Possibly a stupid question but what's actually happening when you expand or contract, or stretch (which is expanding I guess), a material?  Are you increasing/decreasing the space between the material's molecules or what?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ironchew on June 30, 2014, 05:25:46 pm
Possibly a stupid question but what's actually happening when you expand or contract, or stretch (which is expanding I guess), a material?  Are you increasing/decreasing the space between the material's molecules or what?

You probably want Wikipedia's article on deformation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deformation_%28engineering%29) for an in-depth explanation, but solid materials can be thought of as an interaction between electrons in atoms where the material as a whole holds its shape. The atoms never physically touch under everyday conditions -- nearly all of a hydrogen atom's volume is empty space, for example -- but they do interact by way of the electromagnetic force. Some materials can undergo significant elastic deformation where the material as a whole changes shape, but the molecules themselves have room to displace each other without breaking bonds; materials subject to elastic deformation return to their original shape when the force is not applied. Plastic deformation alters the material and it's what you usually think of when something wears or breaks. The intermolecular forces are high enough to rearrange atoms in this process, which can make the material stronger and more brittle (this is a good thing if you want to temper alloys to make them stronger). The material breaks apart when the external force cannot be distributed throughout the entire material but is instead focused on a weak spot where the intermolecular forces are exceeded and the atoms break their bonds with the rest of the material.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Katsuro on June 30, 2014, 05:37:43 pm
I have to say, your explaination was definately complimented by your signature lol.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Eiki-mun on July 01, 2014, 06:20:22 am
This probably isn't the right place to ask such a question, but I don't want to make a new topic for it. I've been working on a world-building project for some time now, a society of a particular species of demon. In this society, given their non-human origins and, well... overall lack of respect for human religious morality (i.e. the norm in the setting), I've introduced sex in, while I wouldn't call it a prominent role, a role with some level of importance. However, whenever I do this, I always worry that I'm perverting or sexualizing the world I'm building. Would you say I'm right to worry? And, as a separate question, would you say that doing this is worrisome?

Because the questions are different. One can be right to worry without the actions themselves being worrisome.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Cerim Treascair on July 01, 2014, 05:16:30 pm
I guess the best question to ask you is "do the characters make a big deal out of it?"

If not? I wouldn't stress.  If they do? that depends on just HOW important it is, like "this is part of your life, you need to accept that" sorta thing.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on July 02, 2014, 12:37:57 am
Okay, I seriously don't know what to do about the broken images.  And it's random images, not all of them, and it happens in different places.  This forum will sometimes yield broken images, and it seems to be random what images are broken.  Tumblr is weird; my dash will almost always eventually load all images, but actual tumblr blogs will only load random images while breaking others.  Unless I open a blog through tumblr search, where, instead of loading the entire page, it opens up a side frame thing (tumblr users on here might know what I'm talking about); if I view a blog like that, all the images load. 

I've reinstalled flash, I've uninstalled flash (relying solely on the built-in pepper plugin), I've reinstalled Chrome, I've done full scans with Avast and Malewarebytes, I've disabled AdBlock, I've opened pages in incognito, I've emptied caches and deleted cookies, I've disabled all my extensions; none of it solved the problem.

Does anyone here have any idea what could possibly be causing random images to break in random circumstances?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sigmaleph on July 02, 2014, 12:43:37 am
I usually have a similar problem on days when my internet connection is particularly shitty and so random images just fail to load. No idea if that's at all related to your problem.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist on July 02, 2014, 02:35:43 am
I'd put money on it being a connection issue, but it couldn't hurt to try clearing your cache (if you haven't done so already) and making sure that your hard drive isn't full.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on July 02, 2014, 04:27:40 am
So yeah, the problem happens on both Chrome and Firefox.  If it's a connection problem though, why is it always the same images that won't load (meaning that once an image breaks or loads, that image will almost always break or load, respectively), why do they load on my dash and not on the blogs, and why do they load when viewing the blog from its preview window through the search function?

Just you you understand when I say "breaks in the blog but loads in the preview":

(click to show/hide)

So, the images will load under specific circumstances.  Do connection problems do the same things?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: guizonde on July 02, 2014, 05:28:59 am
Question: What's the best microphone to record with and is under $200?

i dunno about best, but in 5 years, this little guy has never let my bassist or me down. this guy is a powerhouse for half your budget.

question: at what post count can you be legitimately considered a lurker and not a forgotten/abandonned member?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Katsuro on July 04, 2014, 04:08:03 pm
Why is the 4th July the only time Americans put the date in the right order?  Why don't they call it July 4th like they normaly would?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Eiki-mun on July 04, 2014, 04:16:31 pm
Why is the 4th July the only time Americans put the date in the right order?  Why don't they call it July 4th like they normaly would?

It's because "The 4th of July" sounds more majestic than a simple "July 4th". We use the genitive case like that for important dates, like the 4th of July, or the Cinco de Mayo.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: MadCatTLX on July 04, 2014, 04:18:06 pm
I hear it both ways all the time. As for why Americans write the date different from everyone else, I don't know.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Katsuro on July 04, 2014, 04:28:59 pm
I hear it both ways all the time. As for why Americans write the date different from everyone else, I don't know.

I once had it explained to me by an American.  He explained, "Because 'MURICA!"

I'm not joking by the way, that's a real conversation.  Though he was joking.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist on July 05, 2014, 05:03:16 am
So, I have some British Shillings (minted in the 50s and early 60s), a 5 Franc coin (1960), a super tarnished coin that appears to be a King George V quarter (Canadian), and a shit load of Australian coins minted in the 60s and 70s. Any chance some these might be worth more than their face value?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: mellenORL on July 05, 2014, 02:27:11 pm
The older coins may have a significant percentage of silver in them. Most nations cut back on, or completely replaced the silver content with steel or nickel alloys once silver became too expensive to use in minting.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on July 08, 2014, 06:17:53 am
The ants in my bathroom Just.  Won't.  Die.  I used the same fucking formula I used in my bedroom and in the kitchen, and it worked great in those areas, but these fucking bathroom bitches won't die.  It's the same damn kind of ant, too.  And what's more, after baiting for the first time, they'll swarm the bait for maybe six hours, then they won't touch it again, unlike the kitchen and bedroom ants.  And if that weren't enough, these fucking cockmongling assholes avoid any and all baits like the damn plague after the first baiting, no matter what food I use, and no matter what the bait is in.  Sugar?  Nope.  Honey?  Nope.  Syrup?  Nope.  Jam?  Nope.  Peanut butter?  Nope.  They absolutely will not touch it.  This happened the last time they were in the bathroom, too. 

What is it about being in the fucking bathroom that makes these assholes impossible to kill?! (In case you haven't noticed, I really fucking hate ants.)

Edit:  Nevermind, they're finally gone.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on July 16, 2014, 04:53:07 pm
So, about a month ago, my laptop (which is about 5 years old) started doing this thing where it would BSOD every time I try to exit Chrome all at once.  I couldn't even close windows without a risk of crashing.  I'd have to close out the majority of tabs of each window before closing that window.  A couple of weeks ago, for about a week, it stopped doing that, and I could exit out of Chrome normally.  Now, it's crashing upon exit again. 

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this BSOD?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: SpaceProg on July 16, 2014, 05:39:32 pm
Have you updated any of your browser or OS software since it stopped crashing?    Maybe a bug was fixed before, then a new one popped up following a subsequent update.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: RavynousHunter on July 16, 2014, 07:09:49 pm
I have only one question...mouse or trackball?

(Trackball is the correct my answer.)
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: dpareja on July 16, 2014, 07:46:48 pm
I have only one question...mouse or trackball?

(Trackball is the correct my answer.)

People still use trackballs?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: RavynousHunter on July 16, 2014, 07:53:24 pm
I have only one question...mouse or trackball?

(Trackball is the correct my answer.)

People still use trackballs?


I'm using one right now, you unwashed heathen.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Witchyjoshy on July 16, 2014, 08:17:46 pm
I used a trackball once.

It's good for casual use, but using it for gaming is... I don't like using it for gaming.

I'm not close-minded to the idea, though, if you can give me proof that it can be good for gaming.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Art Vandelay on July 16, 2014, 08:35:48 pm
They seemed to work fine for early 80's arcade cabinets.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: dpareja on July 16, 2014, 09:15:01 pm
I have only one question...mouse or trackball?

(Trackball is the correct my answer.)

People still use trackballs?


I'm using one right now, you unwashed heathen.

I could just never get used to them. Granted I used ball mice for the longest time before I was basically forced to get an optical. I could just never get the same sort of precision with a trackball than I could with a mouse.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: RavynousHunter on July 18, 2014, 08:16:38 am
That's queer, because I can't get shit for precision with a regular mouse.  I've used a trackball exactly like the one I've got now to fly circles around damn near anyone I met back in the heyday of Battlefield: Vietnam, going so far as piloting an F4 Phantom sideways thru a dense Vietnamese jungle and managing to make it out unharmed...minus the small arms fire I took.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist on July 19, 2014, 02:18:42 am
I'm sure there are great alternatives out there, but I'm too used to a mouse to pick up anything new.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Katsuro on July 19, 2014, 06:06:46 am
Graphics tablets are awesome, I got one ages ago to use with Photoshop and it has almost completely replaced my mouse.  I only use my mouse now for games that don't work with the graphics tablet and pen (it seems only strategy games work with it, when I try to use it with FPS games for example I have almost no control at all, the slightlest movement will cause my character to spin round like 400 times...maybe there's a way round it by playing with the games' control settings but I've not really bothered to look into it).
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on September 03, 2014, 03:11:28 am
I have one of the original DS models, so it's around 5 years old, if older.  A couple of years ago, I received a new battery for it for Christmas, since the old one wouldn't hold a charge anymore.  Now I'm experiencing the same thing.  And no, I haven't played it that often (I don't play it for months at a time), and I didn't leave it plugged in constantly.  When I try charging it, the orange light stays on for about a minute, if even that, and the battery life is just under 15 minutes.  Is it possible that the problem isn't with the battery, but the fact that the device is old?

Edit:  I just found that if I plug in the charger while the DS is both on and open, the orange charge light stays lit, but the moment I shut off the DS or close it, the light shuts off.  Simply opening the DS or turning it back on won't turn the light back on, so I have to turn it on and then replug it in.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ironchew on September 03, 2014, 08:03:02 am
Lithium ion batteries lose charge capacity with time (something like a 30% decrease every 2 years). It's possible that the aftermarket batteries are getting older, too.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Commissar Kaz on September 21, 2014, 11:56:02 am
Anyone know a good way to paint a rubber/latex gas mask? I need to paint one black for a halloween costume, and looking around the internet has told me that regular paint won't work, but I can't get a definite answer on what will.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ironchew on September 21, 2014, 01:32:53 pm
Anyone know a good way to paint a rubber/latex gas mask? I need to paint one black for a halloween costume, and looking around the internet has told me that regular paint won't work, but I can't get a definite answer on what will.

If you're worried about chipping, put on a coat of epoxy paint, let it dry, and put a clear polyurethane coat over it.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ultimate Paragon on September 27, 2014, 12:35:30 pm
How do we reform criticism to prevent its stifling what it criticizes, without stifling the criticism itself?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ironchew on September 27, 2014, 01:25:29 pm
Is there anything wrong with criticism as it is currently applied? I'd have to have more context for this.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Second Coming of Madman on September 27, 2014, 01:44:54 pm
Is there anything wrong with criticism as it is currently applied? I'd have to have more context for this.

The Quinn bullshit / thing to make someone's entire lecture career out of.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Eiki-mun on September 27, 2014, 04:10:54 pm
How do we reform criticism to prevent its stifling what it criticizes, without stifling the criticism itself?

You require that said criticism be constructive and solution-oriented. Basically, if you can't suggest even the barest hint of a path to a solution, you shouldn't be bringing up the problem.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on February 11, 2015, 02:17:06 pm
I downloaded some updates this morning and restarted my computer.  Now text looks weird in certain places, like Microsoft Works and Google Search (it looks normal on these forums though).  It looks kind of like when you try printing something when the printer is just starting to run out of ink.

I tried restarting the computer again, but that didn't fix it.  Does anyone here know what it could be?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Dr. Weird on February 11, 2015, 04:11:33 pm
I downloaded some updates this morning and restarted my computer.  Now text looks weird in certain places, like Microsoft Works and Google Search (it looks normal on these forums though).  It looks kind of like when you try printing something when the printer is just starting to run out of ink.

I tried restarting the computer again, but that didn't fix it.  Does anyone here know what it could be?

I noticed a similar situation.  On my computer, it only seems to have affected stuff rendering in Times New Roman.  The actual font file didn't show any changes, and it looks fine in Word or Internet Explorer, but not in anything else (Wordpad, Notepad, Firefox).'

I've been looking around on Google to see if anything about it pops up.  So far no luck.

Edit:

Did find this:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/566588/did-new-windows-updates-and-now-my-fonts-look-bad/

Quote
"Known issues with this security update

      After you install security update 3013455, you may notice some text quality degradation in certain scenarios. The problem only occurs on systems that are running Windows Vista SP2 or Windows Server 2003 SP2. Microsoft is researching this problem and will post more information in this article when the information becomes available."

 

Hopefully they fix it with a future patch, because I don't really want to uninstall it and be unpatched against a vulnerability where a website can contain embedded true type fonts that allow remote code execution...

Quote

    Hi, ditto on the Vista SP2 computer, how do I uninstall the single update KB3013455, it's making me crazy!! Help pretty please!

 

Start-->Control Panel-->Programs and Features-->View Installed Updates

 

Search for KB3013455 (search box is top right of window).

Right-click then select Uninstall

 

Then follow instructions (as I haven't uninstalled it myself yet!)

Haven't tried it yet myself.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on February 11, 2015, 04:31:06 pm
Yeah, uninstalling that specific update fixes the problem.  Everything looks normal now.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Dr. Weird on February 11, 2015, 07:06:59 pm
Yeah, uninstalling that specific update fixes the problem.  Everything looks normal now.

Just finished doing the uninstall on my computer.  Worked like a charm.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Random Gal on February 15, 2015, 04:48:42 pm
Maybe this should be in Confessions or Flame and Burn, or maybe it deserves its own thread, but it's still a question and this is the "Ask FQA" thread, so I'm asking it.

Whenever normal people plan an event, they ask their friends to show up at a time/place, and said friends say "Sure!" and show up. At least 10 people usually show up.

When I ask the same thing, only a few people respond, usually with "I have to do this this this and this and I have no time for that." I then have to spend a whole week wrestling with people's schedules to get 4 or 5 people to be there, and invariably only wind up with 3-4 after someone backed out of the event at the last second due to work/school/other schedule-related excuses.

Example: I want to get people to come to an event with me in November. It is late September. I contact 10 different people I know and explain what's going on, giving them plenty of time to schedule things in advance. As the time draws near, everyone says they are very sorry and can't make it because they're busy that weekend. But they hope everyone else I invited has a good time. I go to the event without any of the people I invited and find another person there has brought a friend. I ask how he arranged that. He says "I asked him a few days before the event and he said yes." (Actual example from high school)

I don't know why this is. I have asked many people why this is. The only response I have gotten is "We do things spontaneously. You can't make long-term plans with us because we do everything spontaneously and never actually plan things out." Yet this is bullshit because whenever I take their advice and schedule things spontaneously, they object and say they have planned this this this this and this and my thing interferes with their plans. Plans. That they made. While simultaneously denying they ever make plans.

The only explanation I can think of that would cover everything sounds completely paranoid. It would seem that nobody actually wants to be around me, but they're too polite to just say it. Instead they invent fake schedules to avoid being around me. Whenever I do successfully get a small group together, it is only because I have planned around their bullshit to the point where the only other option for them would be to say they hate me, and because they're too polite to do so, they grudgingly give up and come anyway. This would imply that literally everyone hates me, though, and I really hope that isn't the case.

What is going on here, really?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sleepy on February 15, 2015, 10:29:10 pm
I think a big part of it is humans being humans, unfortunately. People are unreliable and may either agree to something without thinking about potential schedule conflicts, or they'll agree to it but back out because they suddenly find something better to do and selfishly prioritize. Granted, sometimes work/school/whatever gets in the way and there are legitimate reasons, but in general people suck at planning for future events. People often don't like to say no initially because it can feel good to say yes and be a people-pleaser, frankly. It's also hard to plan something with that many people if they're not close friends, because they often stick to their "main group" as much as possible and ditch anyone else. But again, it can be really hard to plan for something in advance. If someone asked me to go to a concert in May, I have no idea if I'd be able to go. I have no way of knowing if something else will pop up that weekend. So I guess it depends on whether the person answers cautiously ("I'd love to go, but I'm not sure if I'm free...") or freely ("Yeah dude, let's go!"). It really depends on the person.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on April 10, 2015, 06:00:50 pm
If a device isn't charging, is there any way to tell whether it's the charger or the device that's faulty?  There's a charging light on the device that's supposed to light up as it charges, but it doesn't even do that.  It was like that right out of the box.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Meshakhad on April 10, 2015, 06:18:47 pm
If a device isn't charging, is there any way to tell whether it's the charger or the device that's faulty?  There's a charging light on the device that's supposed to light up as it charges, but it doesn't even do that.  It was like that right out of the box.

The only way I know of is to test it with other chargers & devices.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: mellenORL on April 10, 2015, 06:24:07 pm
You can also just leave it plugged up overnight, or see if there is a protective clear plastic cover over a contact point or in a mini-plug socket.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on April 11, 2015, 02:09:39 pm
So, I found a box of old adapters and plugged into the device; it turns out it is the adapter that's faulty, not the device.  The only problem is that the only adapter that worked on it had a 9V output; the device needs a 3.0V.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on July 10, 2015, 08:53:48 pm
Is anybody else's youtube viewing history getting randomly deleted lately?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sleepy on September 07, 2015, 12:06:50 pm
I live in the US. In other countries, do you guys have a ton of stores that are open on Sundays? What about stores open on holidays? Here, both of those things have mostly become the norm, barring a select few places.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Even Then on September 07, 2015, 12:50:59 pm
Almost every grocery store's open on Sundays up here.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: RavynousHunter on September 10, 2015, 10:01:29 pm
I have a question to ask.  This is new.  Okay, do any of you guys have Dropbox installed as an actual program on a Windows machine?  If so, is there any way to stop it from periodically asking for permission to run?  The blinking icon is starting to drive me insane with rage.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sigmaleph on September 10, 2015, 10:46:27 pm
I have Dropbox on Windows, but I haven't experienced that issue.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: RavynousHunter on September 11, 2015, 07:52:01 am
I think it might be because I, like a moron, installed it to Program Files.  Apparently, so much as sneezing at that folder requires admin permissions.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Zygarde on September 14, 2015, 03:12:08 pm
So...Naval Special Warfare want's me to join them should I?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sleepy on September 14, 2015, 03:31:44 pm
Do you want a military career? Are you okay with the major risks that accompany it? From what I've read, any SWCC position is very specialized and requires extreme duration under stress, more than average.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: mellenORL on September 14, 2015, 03:42:40 pm
Looks like every job in Navy SW is gonna be extra pay for extra hazardous duty. Or, if they are now including drone ops, that would be also high stress, but not mortally risky as bomb disposal, rescue diver, SEAL, etc.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Zygarde on September 14, 2015, 03:46:30 pm
I wouldn't mind a military career since I've contemplated it for a while since I'm not at school and I don't have a job, I'm just not sure If I should Join Naval Special Warfare.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: guizonde on September 14, 2015, 03:50:28 pm
I wouldn't mind a military career since I've contemplated it for a while since I'm not at school and I don't have a job, I'm just not sure If I should Join Naval Special Warfare.

go artillery. follow in napoleon's footsteps. take over the world.

or you know, do what you want. so long as you lead the life you wanna lead.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Askold on September 15, 2015, 10:30:48 am
Question: Do the schools in your country teach religions as a subject?

I don't mean using bible in science classes or something, is "religion(s)" a separate subject in your schools?

I am asking this due to a certain debate on the net and the fact that Finnish schools do have religion classes.

(Small part of it is simply teaches students about the religions of the world and the history of those religions but the majority of the studies is preserved for teaching the religion of the students. Lutheran Christian for most kids but if there are enough students from any particular religion to form a group they will be taught about their own religion. Or if there are like, 2 muslims, Jewish kid, 2 Orthodox and 5 atheists they will get another study which will be about general religions and views on life rather than being forced to go the Lutheran studies.)
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: guizonde on September 15, 2015, 10:34:03 am
Question: Do the schools in your country teach religions as a subject?

I don't mean using bible in science classes or something, is "religion(s)" a separate subject in your schools?

I am asking this due to a certain debate on the net and the fact that Finnish schools do have religion classes.

(Small part of it is simply teaches students about the religions of the world and the history of those religions but the majority of the studies is preserved for teaching the religion of the students. Lutheran Christian for most kids but if there are enough students from any particular religion to form a group they will be taught about their own religion. Or if there are like, 2 muslims, Jewish kid, 2 Orthodox and 5 atheists they will get another study which will be about general religions and views on life rather than being forced to go the Lutheran studies.)

not in french public schools. some private ones do (mainly catholic schools, though), and in my bachelor's i had to study religion (as well as my english litterature degree). canonical law is explained in law school (maybe it counts), but to really understand religion in france, either go private or wait until university to learn about it. unless of course you put your kids through catechism, the sunday school equivalent.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sleepy on September 15, 2015, 11:56:16 am
Question: Do the schools in your country teach religions as a subject?

I don't mean using bible in science classes or something, is "religion(s)" a separate subject in your schools?

I am asking this due to a certain debate on the net and the fact that Finnish schools do have religion classes.

(Small part of it is simply teaches students about the religions of the world and the history of those religions but the majority of the studies is preserved for teaching the religion of the students. Lutheran Christian for most kids but if there are enough students from any particular religion to form a group they will be taught about their own religion. Or if there are like, 2 muslims, Jewish kid, 2 Orthodox and 5 atheists they will get another study which will be about general religions and views on life rather than being forced to go the Lutheran studies.)

In my pre-college schooling, religion was only mentioned within a historical context. During my world history classes, we would learn about various cultures and their religions so we had a better understanding of their lifestyle. During US history classes, we did not learn about Christianity or anything like that. We did read a couple bible stories in a literature class, but they were treated like any other mythology. So no, we didn't have a separate class specifically for learning about religion.

However, we do have religious classes available in college since religious studies is a major now. Some students go into those classes expecting them to be a Christian bible study class, which is exactly what they are NOT. Lots of people whine about the professors not catering to their One True Belief System.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ultimate Paragon on September 15, 2015, 12:06:43 pm
Question: Do the schools in your country teach religions as a subject?

I don't mean using bible in science classes or something, is "religion(s)" a separate subject in your schools?

I am asking this due to a certain debate on the net and the fact that Finnish schools do have religion classes.

(Small part of it is simply teaches students about the religions of the world and the history of those religions but the majority of the studies is preserved for teaching the religion of the students. Lutheran Christian for most kids but if there are enough students from any particular religion to form a group they will be taught about their own religion. Or if there are like, 2 muslims, Jewish kid, 2 Orthodox and 5 atheists they will get another study which will be about general religions and views on life rather than being forced to go the Lutheran studies.)

In my pre-college schooling, religion was only mentioned within a historical context. During my world history classes, we would learn about various cultures and their religions so we had a better understanding of their lifestyle. During US history classes, we did not learn about Christianity or anything like that. We did read a couple bible stories in a literature class, but they were treated like any other mythology. So no, we didn't have a separate class specifically for learning about religion.

However, we do have religious classes available in college since religious studies is a major now. Some students go into those classes expecting them to be a Christian bible study class, which is exactly what they are NOT. Lots of people whine about the professors not catering to their One True Belief System.

Yeah, there were a couple folks like that in my religious studies class.  The professor gave them a good dressing-down, and the dean sided with her.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Even Then on September 15, 2015, 12:07:56 pm
From what I remember, our religion studies were just "Christianity, christianity, here's everything from christianity's point of view, oh I guess this other shit exists as well". Which I get, since Finland's a church state, but still.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: rookie on September 15, 2015, 01:10:09 pm
I went to a Catholic grade and middle school. But in high school (public) world religions was an elective. Aside from the couple butt hurt baptists,it was a very good class.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Askold on September 15, 2015, 01:25:44 pm
I thought we had more about the other religions but only one of the courses is about world religions and everything else is Christianity.

...Unless you get that separate class for non-Lutherans that is.

Anyway, I originally was reminded about these classes being a rare thing when a guy mentioned that the benefit of these classes is that we know a lot more about the history of Christianity than the average fundie from USA since despite being Christianity classes aimed at Christians the education is diverse and has stuff about history and how Christianity has evolved during the centuries.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: pyro on October 04, 2015, 11:16:06 pm
College has religious classes, none required, mostly only studied to fill in humanities requirements or by people who want to make a career out of it. I haven't taken any and don't plan on it.

All I remember from high school was an after-school Bible study group, no actual religious classes, but they might've had some that I never looked at.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ultimate Paragon on October 06, 2015, 10:49:11 pm
What's with the "black people like grape soda" stereotype?  I mean, at least the fried chicken and watermelon thing has some basis in reality (Southern blacks taking Dixie's cuisine with them during the Great Migration).  But when it comes to grape soda, I'm stumped.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: rookie on October 07, 2015, 08:35:46 am
In all fairness, grape soda is awesome.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Random Gal on October 07, 2015, 08:57:54 am
So the girl I've mentioned here (http://fqa.digibase.ca/index.php?topic=13.9105) and I will finally be meeting in person tomorrow, assuming her schedule isn't going to change at the last minute again. This will be a good chance for us to get to know each other better and for me to figure out if we get along well enough to move farther along. From our conversations so far, she seems like a great person, and I expect that impression will only be confirmed when we meet.

If I do find that I really like her, I'm not sure whether I should mention it then or if I should wait until a later time so things are less awkward. I'm divided between not wanting to be too forward and not wanting to wait too long.

So my question, as someone who's made a lot of mistakes with relationships before and still doesn't really know what he's doing, is: If I find out I like her, what is the proper timing to bring it up in a way that doesn't seem too forward?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Askold on October 07, 2015, 09:04:39 am
Isn't that about the "purple drank" thingy where you mix it with cough syrup or something to mess up your head when you can't afford booze or drugs?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sleepy on October 07, 2015, 10:29:04 am
So the girl I've mentioned here (http://fqa.digibase.ca/index.php?topic=13.9105) and I will finally be meeting in person tomorrow, assuming her schedule isn't going to change at the last minute again. This will be a good chance for us to get to know each other better and for me to figure out if we get along well enough to move farther along. From our conversations so far, she seems like a great person, and I expect that impression will only be confirmed when we meet.

If I do find that I really like her, I'm not sure whether I should mention it then or if I should wait until a later time so things are less awkward. I'm divided between not wanting to be too forward and not wanting to wait too long.

So my question, as someone who's made a lot of mistakes with relationships before and still doesn't really know what he's doing, is: If I find out I like her, what is the proper timing to bring it up in a way that doesn't seem too forward?

I definitely wouldn't do it the first time you meet. If you do get along well, I would hang out with her at least 2-3 more times before saying something. And beforehand, try to gauge how you think she feels and how she would respond.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: rookie on October 07, 2015, 11:15:31 am
Random, if it's not too late, I'd like to suggest that you invite her to bring along a friend or two (or more) and let her pick the place to meet. Go out of your way to make her go l feel comfortable. As far as not being too goats, meet her first. Don't get too far ahead of yourself. If you're that worried, try delaying every step. That is, if you think you're ready to flirt with her, mention how you like spending time with her. You think she's pretty,so you compliment her style. You're ready to ask her out, start flirting. Soon enough you'll be able to "read" her enough to gage what's too fast. But the best answer I can give would be to see how the women of this forum (who are paying attention to this) respond to this advice.

Don't force it though. I've had several (10+) divorcees tell me (and others) no relationship is better than a bad one.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Random Gal on October 08, 2015, 01:50:04 am
It's too late to ask her about friends or whatnot, though I offered to arrange something else with her if she couldn't make it. At any rate though, I chose the local natural history museum where I'm volunteering as it's a public location with a lot of people.

And I agree with you guys; as much as I'm interested in starting a relationship I do have to be realistic in my expectations. Part of the problem was that my first relationship was with an old childhood friend who was already comfortable around me while the second was kind of an extreme doormat after suffering a lot of problems before I met her, and didn't really care . As such, when I dated both of them, they were willing to get a lot closer with me physically from the start. As such, I had the wrong expectations of what a relationship should be, and that' s what I think did me in with the more recent attempts.

So I'll take it more slowly this time, and I'll take tomorrow as mostly a "get to know you" thing.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Random Gal on October 08, 2015, 10:53:39 pm
Update:

I think things turned out pretty well, though there were a lot of unexpected twists.

As it turns out, there was a reason for why meeting her for the first time was nerve-wracking beyond simple scheduling problems, as you surmised. And, as I was starting to suspect, her being trans did factor into it and I should have considered that.We eventually met in a completely different location long after my initial plan fell through, and the initial meeting was really awkward. Turns out she's pre-everything and was afraid of meeting me after I'd been seeing her as female online. Especially difficult was the fact that she'd had to detransition earlier sue to a less-than-ideal living situation. So, she showed up in guy mode in order to let me know the truth. I was honestly quite shocked and things were really tense and uncomfortable at first, but we managed to get over it as we talked for a while and got to know each other better. We eventually managed to bond really well over our shared interest in roleplaying games, and I think it ended really well considering the circumstances.

The advice of "treat her as you would treat any other girl" is a good piece of advice in theory, but in practice I'm learning that being trans can really be important to take into account when considering the situation. Perhaps a better piece of advice would be "don't treat her like a guy, but keep in mind what she's had to deal with and how it might affect things."
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: rookie on October 10, 2015, 05:18:56 pm
I'm glad you met.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Random Gal on October 10, 2015, 05:44:38 pm
I definitely appreciated making a new friend, and so did she. She doesn't really have other friends right now, due to unfortunately all-too-familiar circumstances, so I'm glad it worked out too. And even though things weren't exactly what I'd expected, I still think I'm starting to like her.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Svata on October 11, 2015, 12:50:32 am
Woo! High five!

Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on November 16, 2015, 12:19:07 pm
So, my laptop screen is dying, and leaving it off for too long risks it permanently shorting out.  It almost did it a couple of times, but I managed to get it working again.  I also can't leave it on for too long, since one corner has started to become hot.  I figured out how to schedule the computer to automatically wake itself up every 30 minutes, but there's a problem; the computer wakes up, but the screen won't actually turn on unless I move the mouse.  I can't do this if I'm away or asleep, so I need to find out if there's a way to get the screen to automatically wake up with the computer.  What do you suggest?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: pyro on November 16, 2015, 03:35:18 pm
So, my laptop screen is dying, and leaving it off for too long risks it permanently shorting out.  It almost did it a couple of times, but I managed to get it working again.  I also can't leave it on for too long, since one corner has started to become hot.  I figured out how to schedule the computer to automatically wake itself up every 30 minutes, but there's a problem; the computer wakes up, but the screen won't actually turn on unless I move the mouse.  I can't do this if I'm away or asleep, so I need to find out if there's a way to get the screen to automatically wake up with the computer.  What do you suggest?

Figure out where the short is and actually fix it. It's probably one of the wires linking the monitor to the base; those things go through a lot of stress.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: mellenORL on November 16, 2015, 06:02:14 pm
That kind of fix is usually pretty easy if you google for a how to vid using your laptop make and model. Or, if you can afford 30 bucks or so, take it to an indie shop to fix it. If you need parts, try tigerdirect.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on November 16, 2015, 09:15:10 pm
Reading up online, it seems like there's a problem with the lcd backlight inverter (the screen is there, there's just no light).  Both sources I've seen say it's a better investment to just replace the monitor than the inverter.  If that's the case, it might be better to just invest in a new laptop considering this one is 6 years old (it came with Windows Vista).  The problem is that I have no job (currently searching) and no money, so I'd need to know what would be the better option for my mom.

Either way, this screen is fucked, and my only other option is the living room desktop, which I haven't used in years.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sleepy on December 21, 2015, 02:36:13 pm
Does anyone know Japanese? These words are Japanese (with reversed or jumbled letters, it seems) but I want to know what the actual words are, once corrected. I think it translates to something like "dance with devils right now."

Suru bide zui usunda gusumai
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: TheUnknown on January 03, 2016, 11:33:03 pm
Have any other chrome users been having problems with SPDY errors and images on certain sites not loading lately?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Ultimate Paragon on January 05, 2016, 03:03:19 pm
What exactly is the difference between a Social Democrat and a Democratic Socialist?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Art Vandelay on January 05, 2016, 03:25:07 pm
One's more social whereas the other is more democratic.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: mellenORL on January 05, 2016, 06:58:02 pm
Democratic Socialism would be, say, China if they actually had an honest election and legislative system (which they assuredly do not). It's State Socialism with Democracy. Most industries are at least partly owned or heavily supervised by the state.

Social Democracy is more like what one sees in the Scandinavian countries, where most of the economy is comprised of a free but well regulated market and businesses. A few industry sectors are partly owned or heavily regulated by the state. They are accurately called welfare states, in that the people have entitled safety nets to be free from being uneducated, homeless, starving, or medically neglected, all supported by taxes.

Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sleepy on February 03, 2016, 01:09:55 pm
Is anyone here good with US taxes? This is the dilemma I'm facing (copy-pasted from Turbo Tax):

I have an individual health insurance plan (i.e., not a plan obtained through work), and my employer reimburses me for my coverage. However, they reimburse me by directly adding that amount of money to my paycheck each month, rather than through any formalized process. This is causing my overall wages to appear larger, therefore increasing the amount of taxes that I owe. The reimbursement they give me for it is only used for health insurance - it does not serve as payment for my work there. How can I account for this so my wages are accurate?

Basically, I shouldn't have to pay taxes on this money. Their reimbursement for my health insurance is the equivalent of me choosing the free employer-provided healthcare plan. Yet right now I owe ~$400 because the reimbursement increased my wages, and therefore my taxes. I'm determined to fix this and get my refund instead.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: mellenORL on February 03, 2016, 07:07:00 pm
Ask if their CPA will provide a form to you, as there likely is already something in the IRS catalog of tax forms that addresses your situation. It's probably at least listed in your company's corporate income tax filing. The CPA can also start a consult with the IRS in a letter if for some reason there is not an existing format to use for this. It should be doable. You might have to file for an extension to give the bureaucratic wheels some time to grind through it. Extensions are free to file, and do not change the amount you owe, if anything (no interest or penalty). BTW, you did take the medical expenses/insurance deduction already, correct?
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: Sleepy on February 04, 2016, 12:18:02 am
Is that the deduction requiring medical expenses to be 10% or more of your income, or are you referring to a different one? The only deduction I recall seeing in Turbo Tax applied to plans bought through the government marketplace, which doesn't apply to me.
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: mellenORL on February 04, 2016, 11:26:06 am
If you are using the long form, and not 1040EZ, I believe there is either a line or a mention for a form re medical insurance on Schedule A.

Here's a paste on the topic;

"But you can deduct only premiums that you pay with after-tax money from your own pocket. For example:
If your health insurance premiums are paid entirely by your employer or the government, you cannot deduct the cost.
If you have health insurance through your employer and your share of the premium is deducted from your paycheck pre-tax, you cannot deduct the cost because the premiums were tax-free already.  If you don’t know whether you pay pre-tax or after-tax, ask your human resources department.
If you buy health insurance through the state- or federally run health insurance marketplaces, you can deduct only the portion of the premium you pay out of your own pocket. You cannot deduct the amount of any subsidy.
If you buy an individual or family health insurance plan, either on the open market or through a marketplace, and you pay all of the cost out of pocket, then the whole amount is deductible."
Title: Re: Ask FQA!
Post by: The_Queen on February 04, 2016, 11:44:53 am
If you are using the long form, and not 1040EZ, I believe there is either a line or a mention for a form re medical insurance on Schedule A.

Here's a paste on the topic;

"But you can deduct only premiums that you pay with after-tax money from your own pocket. For example:
If your health insurance premiums are paid entirely by your employer or the government, you cannot deduct the cost.
If you have health insurance through your employer and your share of the premium is deducted from your paycheck pre-tax, you cannot deduct the cost because the premiums were tax-free already.  If you don’t know whether you pay pre-tax or after-tax, ask your human resources department.
If you buy health insurance through the state- or federally run health insurance marketplaces, you can deduct only the portion of the premium you pay out of your own pocket. You cannot deduct the amount of any subsidy.
If you buy an individual or family health insurance plan, either on the open market or through a marketplace, and you pay all of the cost out of pocket, then the whole amount is deductible."

The problem with this route is that it still increases her overall taxes. Since you can only deduct medical bills to the extent they surpass 10% AGI. As such, that is 10% of her AGI that she cannot get back. What she is asking is if she can simply deduct those portions that are listed as income because they're not really income.

To put it in perspective, lets say that Sleepface has $50,000 in income, a 60/40 medical plan (without copay, to keep it simple), and $20,000 in medical bills. As such, she is reimbursed $12,000 from her insurer and her total income is listed as $62,000. So, she can only deduct the remaining $8,000 to the extent that it surpasses $6,200. Under this guise, she would only be able to deduct $1,800, for which (assuming an income of $62,000, and a flat rate of 25% to keep it simple), she would only reduce her taxes by $450.

In contrast, if Sleepface could exclude the money as a non-ascension to wealth (therefore not income under AGI), then that would reduce her AGI by $12,000 (instead of $1,800) and would reduce her taxes by $3,000.

So, the difference between the two approaches can mean a difference of a lot of money... I should become a tax lawyer.

ETA: and if she had 80/20 plan, then under the first approach, she would get a $0 deduction because it does not exceed 10% AGI ($4,00 spent after reimbursement) while under the second she would reduce her AGI by $16,000 and her taxes by $4,000. So the first approach would need a lot of luck to even save her a few hundred, while the latter would easily save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars