Random randomness

[hepcat]

What about the beret though?

[Isgrimnur]

[hepcat]

We should all buy vespas and then joust on the street outside LM’s place with baguettes.

[Isgrimnur]

[Blackhawk]

[Daehawk]

Is that the Queen? She actually used to have fun?

[hepcat]

I don’t think that’s who you think it is.

[Daehawk]

I was watching a video where a tribal lady from India was being shown a globe and told about Earth and the moon and stuff. She was so surprised that when it was daytime for her it was night for someone else. Hard to believe people dont know this stuff in the 21st century. But I was thinking it would be great to see a video of people like her being shown pics or video of the Earth from the moon. Or being shown the surface of Mars.

[Max Peck]

Is it really that difficult to believe?

Only Two-Thirds Of American Millennials Believe The Earth Is Round

Millennials in America sometimes get a bad reputation, this time for good reason. A recent survey found that just 66 percent of young adults aged 18 to 24 years old have "always believed the world is round."

YouGov polled 8,215 US adults on February 8th, 2018 to get a representative idea of America's views on the shape of the Earth. What they found would make any scientist shake their heads, a surprising percentage of responders weren't convinced the Earth is round.

[dbt1949]

Well, it always looks flat from where I'm looking.

[Isgrimnur]

Says the man that lives on a mountain.

[dbt1949]

I see you. Stop scratching yourself there!

[Pyperkub]

I've been watching electric bikes slowly gain in popularity and I'm like I eventually need to scale up from walking to something more. I figured an electric bike would be perfect. It'd be EV training wheels. I could use it to grocery shop. I'd get exercise but then as I wipe out, I could have pedal assist and then when I'm done just ride.

Then I saw the price tags for these things. It look like a reasonably good electric bike that could carry groceries not so precariously and hopefully would be a good fit for me start around $1600. Or I could try and be cheap about it for around $1000 and get close to what I want. Here's to hoping they come in vogue and then become a fad item so someone is looking to unload a really good used one for like $200 just to get it out their garage.

Costco has a foldable one for about $350

[LordMortis]

I've been watching electric bikes slowly gain in popularity and I'm like I eventually need to scale up from walking to something more. I figured an electric bike would be perfect. It'd be EV training wheels. I could use it to grocery shop. I'd get exercise but then as I wipe out, I could have pedal assist and then when I'm done just ride.

Then I saw the price tags for these things. It look like a reasonably good electric bike that could carry groceries not so precariously and hopefully would be a good fit for me start around $1600. Or I could try and be cheap about it for around $1000 and get close to what I want. Here's to hoping they come in vogue and then become a fad item so someone is looking to unload a really good used one for like $200 just to get it out their garage.

Costco has a foldable one for about $350

350 was sounding good but I see the max weight is 250 which I am more than. With Costco's generous return policy I am tempted though. $350 is a good price as long as it works well.

[jztemple2]

Is it really that difficult to believe?

Only Two-Thirds Of American Millennials Believe The Earth Is Round

Millennials in America sometimes get a bad reputation, this time for good reason. A recent survey found that just 66 percent of young adults aged 18 to 24 years old have "always believed the world is round."

YouGov polled 8,215 US adults on February 8th, 2018 to get a representative idea of America's views on the shape of the Earth. What they found would make any scientist shake their heads, a surprising percentage of responders weren't convinced the Earth is round.

One-third of millennials love to pull the chain of people who do surveys

[Madmarcus]

How many of us can squat? I ran into a discussion elsewhere and was rather surprised at the number of people who said they can't do either the Asian or the Slavic squat (some people seemed to feel strongly that those are different things). I won't say that I find them comfortable but I've never had any problem doing them.

[LordMortis]

At 51 I can't squat for more than a minute at best. That might be generous. This is something I'm trying to fix now. Strength, flexibility, aches and pains, and losing weight all need change and I'm working on it. I'm seeing zero results but it's only been a month or so.

[Baroquen]

No problem squatting at 49.

Neither collecting nor divesting (though I really should).

No Vespa for me.

[Daehawk]

NP here. I do get strange sounds from my knees and the occasional pain but can do it and stay there. But the longer I stay there the harder it is to get back upright.

[Daehawk]

Anyone else find it weird that weather moves from west to east? Yes I know its due to the jet stream and that is moves the way it does due to some effect that starts with a C as I recall. But it still 'seems' strange that the weather flows the same direction we spin and it outpaces our spin.

[Jaymann]

I wouldn't say the weather outpaces the spin. You can have a front that takes days to move on.

[Isgrimnur]

some effect that starts with a C as I recall

Coriolis

[Daehawk]

In fun news the kid who played a child prankster in JAWS...the one with the fake shark fin....is now the police chief in that town where the movie was filmed.

LINK

[Daehawk]

I got a question on credit cards that I dont think Ive ever dealt with before so dont know the answer. And no this is not happening to me.

If you dont pay off your full balance then you get charged interests...which is say 20%. Ok lets say your full balance is $100 and you pay $99...just for this questions sake. So you've paid a large part of your balance but not the full thing . You get charged the full 20% interest right?

This sorta applied to me in the 1990s. I got a Sears card and thought to myself.."Hey me..Ill but that $250 printer and pay the minimum of $25 a month and pay it off in 10 months or a little longer. But then of course interest hit me each month for about $20 or so and I NEVER could catch up lol.

Since getting out of bankruptcy Ive refused all credit cards and any credit offers. But the way my sister does it is have a credit card through her bank and earn points. It would be the same as I do now if I dont over use it and Id earn points to turn into gift cards or cash in my account after so many. I think its a penny a point. Which of course is better than no points I get now. Id have to be very careful with it. Also its covered in case of fraud and theft unlike my normal bank card.

Anyways just thinking of all the pros and cons to help me out. Like right now I have nothing for the next 2 weeks. I could really use a bit for some food items and gas. Thing is that would of course come out first next month to full pay off balance. Then Im instantly that much out next month and I already struggle. I would NOT carry a balance if I did get one.

EDIT: And it would help my credit rating. It dropped when I got out of debt funny enough. I haven't really cared but having a good credit rating could be handy for the future. I mean mine isn't bad its just not 730 or so like it was.

[Kraken]

No, you don't pay any interest unless you carry a balance at the end of the statement period. As long as you pay in full and on time, you won't owe a penny.

Also, in your example 20% is the annual percentage rate, not the monthly charge. If you miss your payment you'll owe 1/12 of 20% of the unpaid balance.

But before you sign up for a card, read the agreement. There used to be cards that started accruing interest on Day One, as you described. IDK if those still exist...but with your luck, you'll get one if they do.

[gilraen]

There used to be cards that started accruing interest on Day One, as you described. IDK if those still exist...but with your luck, you'll get one if they do.

No, I think that's illegal now, they are required by law to give you a full grace period before interest starts accruing.

[Isgrimnur]

My personal favorite was MBNA, which was double-cycle billing, meaning paying down a big part of your bill didn’t make as much of a difference because they were still using last month’s balance in the calculation. Thankfully that is also now illegal.

[Daehawk]

I was looking at a Visa Signature from one bank. But I see my other bank may have better cards. I just started looking and Im so sleepy Im going to bed. Will look at them tomorrow.

The Visa Sig one at the first bank says.....


An introductory rate of 0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, adjusting to variable APRs currently 13.00% - 18.00%**
No annual fee (Read Important Terms and Conditions for rate and fee information)
Variable APR for Cash Advances, currently 20.75%**
Free year-end statement
Travel and emergency assistance
Convenient card controls via Digital or Mobile Banking that allow you to turn your card “off” or “on” – quickly and easily – to help limit or prevent unauthorized use.

im basically looking at no fee, good reward points (they're the whole reason for a card to start with) , and low interest....though I dont plan to have interest. But things come up and sometimes having a month or two to pay less would help.

EDIT: It would also give me peace of mind. Like if Im only able to save $200 for my property tax then I could pay the rest with the card. Right now I am very very fritzed with stress over taxes and other things. Its why Im asking about selling stuff and such. I dont sleep much at all with some drug or another in me. Im nervous...just lots of stuff. Worry is not fun.And all the better if I can sell some stuff.

[Kraken]

You can make a few bucks on reward points if you run your routine spending through a credit card. I make a couple hundred bucks a year that way. However,

right now I have nothing for the next 2 weeks. I could really use a bit for some food items and gas.

If you're out of cash when your credit card payment is due, you'll have to stretch to pay just the minimum balance, and then you're off to the races. If you start charging food and gas that you can't pay for, even worse. Once you have a balance, interest more than wipes out reward points.

Also, never, ever, take a cash advance on a credit card. That does start accruing interest on Day One.

[Daehawk]

No plans to if I did get one.

6:30am...not a wink of sleep after 6 hours. Im so tired and my eyes are dry. Now Im starting to get heartburn. I knew getting to sleep late Sunday night then staying in bed until 2 yesterday would hurt my sleeping tonight but not this much. Im jus tso tired a lot. My mind has raced all night on money making and ways to work stuff out. Everytime I thought of something I had to look it up. Going to be a shit day. I did look into more plasma donating. Found theres a Anti-D program for those with negative blood types. It pays more but its only at certain places and none near me. Also you can be paid for bone marrow. $3000 per donation. But of course you have to match and travel and stay a night in the hospital..so really that out...plus pain of course.

And no..no forehead tattoo advertisement

No one thought I could make it on what little I have left after bills and needs. But I knew I could because nothing was really changing. I didn't go anywhere or have any money already. And I did fine for 2019- most of 2021. In fact I dont remember 2019 really. But late last year I starting thinking of things Id like to do. My trips to town each month increased from 2 to 3. And now days Im starting to get cabin fever and what I feel is depression sinking in living like this. I have 2 more years to go. If they had left my food money alone it would have been much better. But halving it has dented me good.

[Daehawk]

End of an era...I miss pay phones. They were such a part of me and my wife's lives over the decades.

[Isgrimnur]

The machines have won. No more paths out of the Matrix

[dbt1949]

Just got my electric bill for this month, $117. It has never been that low. As a matter of fact that half the lowest bill Ive ever had.

[Jaymon]

I just ordered a bag of tiny hats from amazon. Going to run silly D&D oneshot this weekend.

Blue and Brie, the children of Mayor McCheese have been kidnapped by the evil Cheese Wizard. (aka the CheeseWiz)
Silly elements include, the CheeseWiz is actually two ratmen in a trenchcoat. Lair actions include summoning a ratswarm, a batswarm, and hat swarm. ( a bunch of constructs). Guardians of the dungeon include cheese golems (clay golems), and gorgonzolites (trogldites) And to find the location of the cheese wizards lair they must consult the orkacle, the three mystical orcs, Mork, Fork, and Cork. One always tell the truth, one always tells lies, and one always tells jokes.

[Daehawk]

The machines have won. No more paths out of the Matrix

Ive wondered. When they jack into the matrix do they appear beside a phone? I mean they dont need one to enter so why do they need a fake landline phone in a fake world to leave?

[Sudy]

I don't know whether pay phones still have a purpose, or not. Obviously I guess the market won out. But aren't there still those without a cell phone? What happens if your phone dies and you need to make an urgent call? (Non-911--the article explains the replacement wifi kiosks enable you to contact emergency services.) I guess you ask someone to borrow their phone, but I'd be intimidated to do that in NYC. (Or any city.) I've heard that many homeless people have cell phones because the barrier to entry is so low in terms of cheaper non-plan handsets. And I guess you could take advantage of free wifi calls endlessly with a hotspot. So hotspots are the new payphones, but you still need charged, working hardware.

I remember when I was a young adult around 2006 I couldn't afford/didn't want to pay for a plan. So I got a pay-as-you-go gas station phone mostly for texting, but still relied on pay phones and calling cards a heck of a lot for speaking with my girlfriend (since it was long distance).

I guess you have to look at it like landlines. "Everyone has a landline now, you just have to budget for it like any other utility." But I still knew blue collar workers in the early 2000s who shared a landline between multiple apartments. Obviously there are always going to be outliers, and infrastructure won't operate at a loss to support them. But it's such an odd thought to have no public means to make a call anymore.

[Daehawk]

Someone said Australia made all their pay phones free to use and kept them.

Landlines or what are called landlines today are not true landlines. They are simply modems. So power out still means no phone. In the old days the phone company powered their phones so when power was out the phones still worked.

Still think it was a better system. Plus people kept their numbers so phone books were useful. I disagree with getting rid of pay phones. I think they are still needed. Besides they were cool. Especially the booth style ones Superman used.

[dbt1949]

I have one of those flip phones. I have no one to talk to and just need it for emergencies. Charge it about every six months. And of course I have a land line. That's just so I can get spammers.

[Daehawk]

I forget....is something like a pack of hotdogs or a brisket thats been frozen since purchase but marked best buy 2020 or 2021 still ok and safe? My sister cleaned out some stuff and brought me some stuff and Im pretty hungry. But I dont need to puke for a day.

[dbt1949]

Only one way to find out.