Great. I guess then that you got that ape raping video I sent you.
"I was one of the few people who actually felt slightly uncomfortable with the rape element."
Michael, you're a youtube genius.
Nice of the qmail docs to mention anywhere that root never receives mail.
rape rape rape...rape rape an ape! man, I'm going to have that stuck in my head all day.
"youtube genius" has got to be one of the top three backhanded compliments I've witnessed this afternoon.
Hey would this be a good thread for me to interject a plea for help? Somebody please tell me what I am doing wrong with my DVD player. We have a Sony SLVD370P DVD/VCR Progressive Scan Combo Player and it doesn't seem to play DVD's that have problems particularly well. Like for instance, we got a damaged disk from Netflix today. If I put it in the Sony player, it will either tell me it can't read the disk, or it will start playing but the time will be wrong -- like pausing at odd intervals, or skipping back, or not playing audio -- not fun movie watching behavior. If I put the disk in my computer's DVD drive, it plays fine, except there's a skip about a minute in that I have to fast-forward over. So clearly there is a problem with the disk itself -- but it seems like there is something wrong with the player too. Is this right? We've been having a lot of hassles with disks from Netflix and it's turning into a big bore. Sorry to ramble on, but my family's entertainment is in jepoardy.
Since this thread is now officially about nothing, I offer for your entertainment this test of your ability to tell the difference between natural and surgically enhanced breasts. I scored an 87%, because I am a mammorial genius.
The link is completely SFW.
And when I said "your entertainment", yes Clownae, I was talking about your family's entertainment. Since your DVD player is borken and all.
7: Different players will tolerate different degrees of defect in discs and react differently to the same defects. It would be very difficult to say whether your player necessarily has problems or is simply more sensitive to the drive in your computer (I've found that computer drives are heartier than retail entertainment drives, but that's both as purely anecdotal and from limited data as anything ever can be). If the model you have at home is still offered in stores, try taking a known good and a known bad disc to the store and asking to try them out in the display model and look for differences in how that one behaves vs. the one at home. Even then, though... meh. A display model has had a hard life and might make for a less than ideal candidate for comparisons.
I have had good luck just cleaning the netflick disks. Even if they are pretty scratched up; cleaning the disks often solves the problem.
Yeah I cleaned the ones I had problems with, it did not make my player any happier.
computer drives are heartier than retail entertainment drives
This seems totally bizarre to me, I can't wrap my head around it or figure out any kind of a market-y reason for it.
9: I'm sure we've had that linked here before.
The one linked before didn't have bikini-clad breasts. It was easier.
15- seriously? I guess I'm going to have to bone up on the archives to prevent embarrassing mistakes like that from happening again. I'll start in at page 1; see you in a few months.
16: Whatever, I didn't follow the link.
73%. I got all the fake ones right, but I misidentified quite a few real ones as fake.
That's okay, Teo, we wouldn't expect you to know the difference.
Teo, I guess we're going to have to bone up on the archives to prevent embarrassing mistakes like this from happening again.
Man. I find it scandalous that you guys are more interested in prurient imagery than in my home electronics.
bone up on the archives
Is Cryptic Ned propositioning Teo?
I think he's suggesting I proposition Megan.
I'm quite sure hers are real. Given my test results, though...
That's okay, Teo, we wouldn't expect you to know the difference.
Oh, Snap!
Hey Robust -- do you know if there is an kind of interface I can use to plug my computer into the back of my TV, so I could just use bypass the inferior Sony DVD player and output the signal from Windows Media player or whatever to the tube?
What, only the boys are allowed to go after the low-hanging fruit?
29: There is definitely a way to do this; we used to do it all the time back when I lived in the dorms.
What, only the boys are allowed to go after the low-hanging fruit?
You're welcome to go after my low-hanging fruit anytime.
What, only the boys are allowed to go after the low-hanging fruit?
Not at all. If anything, ribbing Teo is funnier when it comes from the ladies.
Most laptops have an S-video out.
35 to 32, obvs. Though for all I know, it could apply to 33, too.
And definitely it applies to 34. An S-video? C'mon, Grandpa. I haven't had an S-video port in my laptop for years.
I apparently have an S-video out. So cool! I will try and figure out how to use it.
Though for all I know, it could apply to 33, too.
I'm a ripe old 30 now.
So the titty page claims that titty-pairs 19 and 23 are natural. 19, maybe (she seems to be stretching), but did anyone guess "natural" for 23?
I haven't had an S-video port in my laptop for years.
We're all adults here, B. You can just use the anatomical terms.
42 - I did. Her bikini-top seems to be much much much too small.
Agreed. The unnaturalish curve on the top of the breasts seems to come from squishing from the too-small bikini, and that squishibility in itself suggests naturalness. Plus the angle is deceptive there, I think.
Very well, I bow to your superior abilities.
I also guessed wrong on 23, and scored a meager 83%. I'm out of practice -- talk about needing to bone up.
38: Yes, well, when you're older and more experienced maybe I'll have a reason to read your blog.
41: I'll be 39 in a couple months, so, yep.
This seems totally bizarre to me, I can't wrap my head around it or figure out any kind of a market-y reason for it.
Remember that I said this was purely anecdotal and based on very limited experience. From an objective, generalized standpoint my experience could very easily add up to horseshit. I'm sure I could manufacture some tech-snob explanation about the DVD-drives-as-components consumer being techier and savvier than the average DVD-player-for-den consumer, and the latter being more likely to just chuck one that's on the blink and buy a new one with little in the way of meaningful complaint whereas a lousy brand of item will end up blogged and Slashdotted and Dugg from here to yonder and back again by the former, but I would be talking out my ass.
Using the S-video out should be pretty simple. You'll need an S-video cable for it, though. These are easily obtained at electronics or videogame stores or at department stores with electronics sections. Beyond that, I am useless for helping you.
50: Probably a mini-jack-to-RCA cable, too, to pass the audio. Also widely available. And! you get to sing "mini-jack cord, and I don't care."
Yes! You will want to deal with audio.
I'll be 39 in a couple months, so, yep.
39 is too old for 30? If I were to get divorced, would I be willing to bang a 21 year old? Methinks yes.
38: Yes, well, when you're older and more experienced maybe I'll have a reason to read your blog.
Time will take care of the former and you could take care of the latter, you know.
Since this appears to be the miscellaneous thread at the moment, can I ask the Mineshaft for some generalized advice?
I'm applying to graduate school, having been out of school for almost ten years, and I figure since so many of you are academically connected you might have some advice for someone in my position applying to a Masters program.
(Apart from, like, "don't.") Who should I find to write a recommendation? What should I write in my personal statement? What, apart from filling out the application, ought I do (or not do) to help my chances?
If this is too boring for the blog, and yet you are filled to bursting with advice, email to matt at unlikelywords.com would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
What sort of Masters program? (Not that I have any advice, just curious.)
Going with the miscellaneous theme here, I don't understand how we could possibly be losing the battle for hearts and minds.
54: What?
55: This is a good point. I can't help it if Teo's never in Albuquerque at the same time I am.
56: Personal statement--explain why you want to get the MA (terminal MA?). Depending on the program, they may be quite happy with an "I need professional qualifications" statement, or they may expect an "I intend to study the theoretical works of so-and-so in order to better understand why x happens among y subgroup." Especially if it's an MA at a place that has a PhD program, more the latter than the former. I always tell students to write the thing as if you were explaining why you're going to grad school to a favorite aunt--someone curious and basically friendly, and interested enough in you to *really* want to know.
56: Are these questions worthy of an "Ask the Mineshaft" session? I think there are plenty of people willing to offer advice, and plenty happy to receive it [gazes at navel].
57: A Masters in Public Policy, most likely.
59: to a favorite aunt -- Hmm, this is a very helpful way of thinking about it.
mrh: good choice! I kind of wish now that I had gotten an MPP instead of a JD, but whatevs, too late for that now. Still, from what I know of it, there are some absolutely great programs, and it seems so...practical! My older sister got an MPP and I seem to remember that I actually helped her with her personal statement. Having written a personal statement or two myself, my advice is mostly to be honest and a little earnest. B's advice about a letter to a favorite aunt is good--write about why you want to do it, what concerns you, how you feel that this degree can help you..with an MPP there are all sorts of ways to make that stuff relevant. My sister worked at a drug program and that was what made her want to do drug and crime policy stuff, for example. As I'm sure you know, MPP programs usually give you a lot of practical knowledge that you might not otherwise have, like extensive work with statistics and SPSS, for example.
Anyway, I think it's good to have work recommendations if you've been working for a long time. If you have a professor that can still write you one, great, but otherwise, get work peeps to do it.
14: computer drives are heartier than retail entertainment drives
This seems totally bizarre to me, I can't wrap my head around it or figure out any kind of a market-y reason for it.
One big reason is that if you are only going to use the drive to play movies, dropping the occasional bit is no big deal - one frame of the movie may get a little wonky, but you can generally continue to view and enjoy the whole thing. But if you are also using the drive for data storage, one dropped bit may invalidate an entire file (depending on the format and where it happens). So computer users are going to be a lot less tolerant of the occasional bit error than DVD player users - hence the use of higher quality components, more error correcting stuff, etc., for computer drives.
For what it's worth, we're also having major error problems with our DVD changer (errors reading some brand-new out of the box DVDs that read fine on my laptop, for example). Calling around, it seems like it's likely to be a pretty simple problem requiring cleaning and/or realigning the optical pickup, possibly replacing it. But every local authorized service place except one charges a minimum of $75-100 to even look at it (after a wait of days to weeks), while a brand-new in-warranty changer goes for around $125. Want to know why we have a problem with electronic junk in this country?
What we're considering: 1) Buy new changer, 2) Take the old one to the one place I found that would look at it for $40, hope they don't charge too much more for the repair, 3) When old one comes back, see if we can find a use for second changer (possibly with an S-video splitter, or just using it for audio CDs), or else donate to worthy cause, 4) If estimate comes in too high, reluctantly contribute carcass to electronic recycling place (if available) or landfill (if not).
Thanks DaveW, that makes sense. Sorry about your home electronics difficulties.