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2024-04-18, 10:46 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Last edited by Bohandas; 2024-04-18 at 10:50 AM.
"If you want to understand biology don't think about vibrant throbbing gels and oozes, think about information technology" -Richard Dawkins
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2024-04-18, 11:14 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
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2024-04-18, 05:30 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
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2024-04-19, 09:03 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Just got news that our car, which broke down on the way to the eclipse ()(Don't worry, we still made it) has been fixed successfully.
The only reason this is noteworthy is because the dealership quoted us $4,000 to replace the hybrid battery, and my mother-in-law knew a guy who was willing to refurbish it for $400. I've always known to expect an upcharge at manufacturer service centers, and I know there's a big difference between brand new and refurbished, but that difference still galls me. I don't know if I've ever seen an actual "knock a zero off" price difference, and until we got news that it was running, I wasn't sure I believed it.
Yep. Everest is such a wild mixture of the mundane and the extreme -- I can't think of a better visual for that than the fact that it can have lines of climbers waiting to summit, who are regularly walking past frozen corpses. Jon Krakauer's book Into Thin Air gives some fantastic examples of this. He details the way he and his group prepared to climb Everest, as well as the story of four people dying on their trip, and how it felt surreal and mundane at the same time.
You'd think that deaths on a mountain are due to avalanches or falls (and sometimes they are) but often it's just the thin air and the cold and the difficulty of logistics. People get confused and take off their equipment, and everyone around you is too focused on keeping themselves alive that you can very easily make a "dumb" mistake and die in a strangely anticlimactic way.Last edited by Ionathus; 2024-04-19 at 09:04 AM.
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2024-04-19, 11:18 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Another way of looking at it is that Everest is 29,000 ft high, and aeroplanes can't fly much above 18,000 ft without oxygen or pressurisation for the humans and superchargers for piston engines, helicopters have apparently reached 35,000 ft, but that's presumably in good conditions with pressurisation or oxygen for the personnel, which would be lacking once they left the aircraft. They could carry oxygen like the climbers, but that would be extra weight. Then there's getting the corpses out of the ice. It would be expensive, could be done if somebody wanted to spend millions on a charity for it, but there are better things (and worse but easier things) to do with charity money.
The end of what Son? The story? There is no end. There's just the point where the storytellers stop talking.
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2024-04-19, 11:40 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
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2024-04-19, 09:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Finished reading Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.
Ending isn't as immaculate as the rest of the series but it's still really good. We know how it ends, where everyone's going, and even though it'd probably be a bad idea*, I wanna see more from these characters.
Great romcom, would recommend to all.
*The series ended right when it needed to. It didn't go too fast, it didn't overstay its welcome, and it covered the ground it needed to. There's also a heavy implication that Yu and Miko go through the same stuff we saw in the series over again, which wouldn't be necessary even if I would read the **** out of it just to see these two do something sooner or later.
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2024-04-19, 10:03 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Sometimes I hear noises. Then, when the noises stop, I still hear them until I realize the sound has stopped. Then it quickly dissipates. Does anyone know what this is called?
I don't think it's an earworm, cuz when I realize the sound's stopped, it disappears pretty quick. And earworms stay stuck. It's also not tinnitus, cuz that stays stuck, too. And this sound doesn't.
The best term I have for it is an auditory hallucination that becomes a pseudohallucination that then disappears. But I dunno if there's another way to express it.
Wow, you saved $3600. That's a lot. I wonder why there's such a big disparity in cost.
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2024-04-19, 10:22 PM (ISO 8601)
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2024-04-20, 02:27 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Certainly in part. Dealerships are geared towards encouraging a new model purchase (or giving warranty-covered maintenance on your new model), which is why I tend to avoid them. Way too much money for not enough value.
(To TaiLiu)
In addition to greed, the dealership and the refurbishment guy were promising different services.
A hybrid car’s hybrid battery has a bunch of individual cells that can be swapped out. The dealership wanted to replace the whole battery with a brand new one. The refurbishment guy wanted to replace the two most worn-out cells that were causing the problem, but leave the rest of the (16-year-old) cells in the battery. So we’ll probably have another individual cell failure eventually.
We will certainly not get as much life out of the $400 fix as the $4000 replacement. But since this car has already lasted 300k miles, we expect the rest of the vehicle to fall apart *around* this rejuvenated hybrid battery either way.
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2024-04-20, 09:58 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
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2024-04-20, 10:17 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”
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2024-04-20, 10:53 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
I recall reading a few months ago a story about someone who, after buying a new car, got pressured into paying extra for an extended full-service warranty instead of just the basic warranty.
A while later he was having car trouble and went back to the dealer to have it serviced and in addition to fixing the "minor" issue they did a bunch of other things so that what should have been a few hundred dollars ended up being a few thousand. When they called him to tell him the job was done and the bill, he said "I'm not paying that" and when he went to the dealership to pick up his car there were two burly guys standing behind the clerk because of a course a shady dealership has thugs.
He then showed them that the car was still under the warranty he was pressured into paying extra for and that it covered all of the services that they had performed and that n, he was not paying it, they'd just have to eat the loss unless they wanted legal trouble for breach of contract.
The next time he had car trouble the dealership fixed the exact problem and nothing else. When the warranty expired, he traded the car in at another dealership.I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
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2024-04-20, 12:13 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
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2024-04-20, 12:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
"If you want to understand biology don't think about vibrant throbbing gels and oozes, think about information technology" -Richard Dawkins
Omegaupdate Forum
WoTC Forums Archive + Indexing Projext
PostImage, a free and sensible alternative to Photobucket
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Morrus' RPG Forum (EN World v2)
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2024-04-20, 12:43 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
did I ever share the story about how, when I came into a conflict with a professor in my second semester of college over a misunderstanding(the Disability office said that I was the one who had to tell my parents individually that I had autism and might need accommodations when I told the professor and asked for instructions that were less vague she said "the disability office didn't say anything" turns out they lied to me or the police got changed between semesters without anyone being informed of it)
Anyway, she decided that "tall frustrated autistic man" was a threat and the next class she had someone sitting in who then ambushed me after class and said and made threats about having the Dean of students kick me out unless I went with her then and there to "discuss the problem" and wouldn't take "my ride will be here any minute" for an answer because apparently just my regular body langue is a threat according to this woman.
Note that this is not, in fact, how such things were supposed to be resolved according to policy.
(The situation was resolved when I got home in a panic and my mother sent some emails to the school on my behalf but the whole mess was complicated and I still ended up having to sign a document that amounted to a confession to wrongdoing even though I did nothing wrong.)
Given my life experinaces, which as we have long since established differ significantly from yours, can you see why I would find a shady car dealership having thugs on hand to intimidate 'problem customers' to be plausible given that I myself have been a victim of similar intimidation tactics in a ****ing school of all places?I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
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2024-04-20, 03:52 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Intimidating customers is generally bad practice for a legal venture. There are plenty of ways for a legitimate business to get you to pay up without breaking your legs if you owe them money, and breaking someone's legs is a good way to never see their money, or any money, for a long time.
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”
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2024-04-20, 03:59 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Last edited by Rater202; 2024-04-20 at 03:59 PM.
I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
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2024-04-20, 04:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”
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2024-04-20, 04:23 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Sue you? Over what? Having a tall guy behind the desk when they came in? Or for having some form of security in place?
It's not like the OP of the story said "the car is still under warranty" over the phone, they said "I'm not paying that" which could be read as a statement of intent to refuse payment for services rendered and since they arrived with intent to claim the vehicle despite said statement of refused payment there's enough wiggle room for the dealership to argue that they themselves felt threatened.
Hell, the OP was merely assuming that they were there to intimidate him, The situation was resolved before their presence was addressed and while threats would be in character for a shady business without confirmation there's no way of knowing for sure.I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
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2024-04-20, 04:30 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Over threatening you. Implied threats are still threats, and while going into details would probably criss the line into actual legal advice, it's enough of a risk that a business wouldn't want to, well, risk it. If youre a legitimate business, shady or not, you don't want a thug, you want a suit with a briefcase. Suits are much safer for you, and more successful.
Last edited by Keltest; 2024-04-20 at 04:30 PM.
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2024-04-20, 04:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
You need to prove a threat before you can sue for threatening.
Unless you have a recording or credible witness to someone saying "I will inflict violence on yu if you don't pay" you have no case. No lawyer's gonna take "i felt threatened" to trial unless you've got a ****load of money to pay them with.
Just having a couple big and tall guys behind the counter doesn't in and of itself make for a credible threat.I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
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2024-04-20, 05:16 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”
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2024-04-20, 05:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Who do you think you prove things to? The judge. Presiding over the lawsuit. Which takes place once you've sued.
You can sue for damn near anything. Winning, that's another question, but if you have the time and the inclination, you can absolutely make someone's life miserable in the US court system, even if they've done nothing wrong.
ETA: Also, even the implication of "pay us money or we'll beat you up" is not conducive to business that wishes to continue to exist.
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2024-04-20, 05:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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2024-04-20, 09:08 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
Awesome Avatar by Emperor Ing
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2024-04-20, 09:27 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
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2024-04-20, 10:11 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Spoiler: I'mma try to 'splainSo, due to changing circumstances, 1: Amity's character development gets speedrun a bit which combined with a few other butterflies means she just barely worked up the nerve to give Luz the Grom note so they end up dating at Grom, and 2: Luz doesn't need to sacrifice the portal to rescue Eda.
So Luz can go back to the Human Realm when she's supposed to, and Amity comes with her because Luz is afraid of telling her mom the truth as in canon.
Camila takes it a lot better than in canon, however, mostly because Luz is actually there instead of being an astral projection in a mirror but also because this is a Marvel crossover and "my daughter spent her summer having PG magical adventures in another dimension" is a lot closer to "normal" than it is in canon. There is legal precedent for Vee's exact situation. So that just... all gets resolved pretty easy and then it's a tour around town.
Also, Masha is there because it kind of rubs me the wrong way that the other Cabin 7 kids seemingly never get the truth of what was going on explained to them. It's not fair that Vee has to start those friendships over from scratch and as far as the Cabin 7 kids know Luz made new friends an started ghosting them and that just... No. So in y fic, Mash hitched a ride back to town when Camila picked up Vee and thus was present when the real Luz came back.
This is something I had always planned...
If you recall in Knock Knock Knocking on Hooty's Door, in canon Luz is implied to have asked people out and been not only rejected but made fun of and in Yesterday's lie her reaction to Vee approaching human teenagers is to warn her to start looking for escape routes and lament that Snek-Friend is going to get made fun of. I sort f emphasized this in my take on the Grom chapter and was planning to follow it up with an encounter with some Bullies/Fomrer Crush's of Luz and that Amity would not stand for her girlfriend being made fun of in that manner...
...But then a general fanfic discussion I was participating in turned its attention to the Blonde Cheerleader, seen in A Lyin' With and a Warden and Thanks To Them, and another forum poster joked that she was "the first of Luz's Evil Exes" and uh... The plot bunnies in my brain started breeding.
I was gonna do a full roster of seven ex-crushes but that didn't turn out to be viable so I went with three instead.I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
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2024-04-21, 04:30 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
It's not, but the corporate world is rife with stupidity and incompetence. Businesses are perfectly willing to do all manner of things that jeopardize the long term sustainability of that business. And sometimes all it takes it some low level manager going on a power trip. Does that mean this story in particular actually happened? *shrug* Not really and I certainly wouldn't know anyhow, but that's always the problem with these reddit tales. There's never any way to verify them.
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2024-04-21, 10:19 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Domino Quartz's Delightfully Quaint Random Banter Thread #248
Thought Potato, the youtbe channel that does that spec bio-series I've mentioned a few times, posted the first half of a two-part video on what happens if someone already infected with the vampire virus gets infected with te zombie virus.
Most of the test subjects died horribly but the also accidentally made a hybrid super-virus, though details on that one are going to have to wait for part 2.I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.
Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
Awesome Avatar by Emperor Ing