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If you’re doing what you otter, you add the acid to the water.
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Nov 26, 2018 01:23
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Fruits of the sea posted:Huh, I always wondered about that. A bucket of acid doesn't seem like something you would have sitting around at home or at the corner shop. You can buy HCl in gallon jugs pretty easily at any home improvement store, probably over by the pool chemicals but maybe over by the concrete/masonry stuff. It'll be called 'muriatic acid', and it's just a 20-30% concentration of HCl.
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Nov 26, 2018 01:51
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Aggro posted:I’m a loving moron and put a cashmere sweater in the drier. It is now fuzzy as all get out and looks ridiculous. Is there any way to salvage this thing? I’ve seen “defuzzers” and special combs for sweaters, but this might be beyond that. I feel pretty goddamn stupid since it’s a great sweater. Try shaving it with a disposable razor, the really cheap kind that comes without that little strip of lubricant most razors have. It sounds silly, but that does about the same thing as fancy sweater de-fuzzers at a fraction of the price. Stretch the fabric out a bit, go over it lightly with the razor, and swap to a fresh blade if your first one gets too gunked up with sweater frizz.
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Nov 26, 2018 04:03
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Have American football players always suffered from CTE and this only recently began to be discussed, or has the prevalence of CTE actually increased? I assume it's the former, and problems from CTE before a few years ago were diagnosed as something else or hushed up.
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Nov 26, 2018 05:30
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Boxers and football players got real bad brain problems and dementia and poo poo in like their 40s or 30s for sure, just nobody really said that much about it back in the day. The first guy to be diagnosed with CTE played in the 70s, but was only diagnosed in 2002 after he died at like age 50 or something. They used to just say "he took too many knocks to the head" or whatever, nobody was really talking about it as a genuine medical diagnosis for quite a while.
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Nov 26, 2018 06:04
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Yeah the term dementia pugilistica has been around since at least the 1920s, people have known that getting hit in the head fucks your brain up for a long time now.
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Nov 26, 2018 06:36
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What is autotune supposed to accomplish? Okay, so, that's kind of a dumb question. I suppose it could be either to correct someone who is off-key, or to add "weird alien sound" to someone's voice. But besides this kind of Occam's Razor answer, there is something else that it does that I don't understand. Well, specifically, it is a good thing, and that is the thing I can't really understand. I have autism spectrum disorder, which is an annoying thing to say because it doesn't really provide anyone with any information except that I am weird-ish. Autism affects all of us differently, but there are many traits that kind of carry over, generally, no matter where you might fall on the spectrum. For me, autotuning is one of those things that causes me physical pain. I know an autistic guy who can't handle lights being turned on or off -- it has to be dimmed slowly, or his brain goes into a fit and it hurts him. My cousin is autistic, and he can't breathe if anything is touching his throat. These are things that are like, a little weird, but they have their foundation in neuro-typical biology. I mean, a stark contrast between light and dark could bother anyone; just moreso this guy. And having pressure on one's throat might cause them discomfort, but in my cousin's case it causes so much discomfort that his throat kind of seizes up. And for me, when I hear auto-tune, it is like... imagine, let's say, that you don't like the smell or taste of poop. And someone brings you a meal, and it's like, it looks okay but there's a big turd on it. Everyone else is eating it -- a lot of people bitch about there being too much poop, but we still all eat it. So this is all just to say that, auto-tune hurts me. It causes me physical discomfort to the point that I gnash my teeth, that I clench my fist, that I want to escape. So it's hard for me to personally relate to why anyone would like this, because I don't know that I can ever listen to it, especially not with any kind of critical ear, to really pay attention to it. But on the other hand, to be frank, I have never, ever, ever heard auto-tune that doesn't sound like absolute garbage. Even the first time I think I heard it, that Cher song from 1998, I was like, this is an okay song but utterly ruined by whatever they're doing to her voice. And whenever I happen to hear it now, it consistently sounds like... like, I never really hear it used in music I like, but even if it's music I don't like, I just feel like adding this weird electronic pitch fuckery ruins whatever chance the vocal track had at being listenable. I'm trying to find this out on Google, and I can find a ton of things about how autotune works, but nothing about like, what specifically it's trying to do. I mean, if I listen to a pop song on the radio and there is autotune, which changes the singer's voice to be slightly off-key, or maybe like, on-key-off-key weird vacillation... I'm not an expert on music theory by any means, but what I do know suggests that auto-tuning objectively harms music. So, does that sound good? Because objectively, it shouldn't. I mean, according to the way keys work, it shouldn't sound good. And it doesn't to me. But I guess it must sound good because it's used all over the place.
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Nov 26, 2018 13:19
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What's the origin of this  emote? I guess I'm not cool enough for all the hippest memes these days, you drat kids.
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Nov 26, 2018 13:20
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credburn posted:What is autotune supposed to accomplish? People like the way it sounds. Nails being poured from an excavator bucket onto sheets of corrugated iron also isn't objectively good according to musical theory, but I went to a show on saturday where that happened and people applauded it
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Nov 26, 2018 13:35
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McSpanky posted:What's the origin of this It's from a Kelly political cartoon, who is the cartoonist of The Onion. Pretty sure the emote originated in the Political Cartoons thread over in D&D, too. I can't find the full comic offhand, but the specific panel is this one: 
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Nov 26, 2018 13:36
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Auto tune guy: it’s just pitch modulation being used (abused?) creatively. Just like how samples can be sped up or slowed down but somebody years ago decided it sounded cool if you sped up classic songs enough to match the tempo of hip hop songs and now early 2000s music is rotten with that poo poo. As for how pitch modulation could be useful or what is its intended purpose, many songs you hear have had it applied gently in such a way that you just can’t tell. Edit: it’s like looking at those doll face monster portraits popular in beauty pageant photography and asking what could possibly be the use of the blur tool in photoshop. Nearly every photo you see for public consumption has had a shitload of subtle photoshopping but you just don’t usually notice it because it’s subtle and the tools have been used in their intended way to maximize an aesthetic rather than achieve some kind of dramatic creative idea. tuyop fucked around with this message at 13:52 on Nov 26, 2018 |
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Nov 26, 2018 13:43
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If I wanted to set up email addresses for about 70 people in a non-profit, would it be easier to do in Google suite or with Office 365? I can get both free for the organisation.
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Nov 26, 2018 13:50
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credburn posted:Autotune stuff To expand on what tuyop said, the examples you seem to be sensitive to are where it's either used as an effect or when the singer is pretty far off the correct note. Almost all produced music has some autotune in it nowadays, but it's just to bring the note up or down a couple of cents (fractions of a half-step), so you almost certainly wouldn't notice it.
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Nov 26, 2018 13:52
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credburn posted:What is autotune supposed to accomplish? I think this is the basic assumption that you have wrong, which is why it is causing you confusion. The music industry is spectacularly uncreative. In this case, the reasoning goes 'Cher used this technique and made a lot of money. T-Paine used this technique and made a lot of money. Therefore, if we use this technique in our music, we will also make a lot of money' They don't care whether music sounds good, or bring joy or is a masterpiece. They care how many units they sell and if the most effective method would be someone farting into a microphone for 3 solid minutes, they would release that. And for the next 10 years, every record on the market would include someone farting. https://priceonomics.com/the-inventor-of-auto-tune/ - good article on this history of autotune Compare it with the Loudness War:  The top mix is utter shite, but it sells better.
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Nov 26, 2018 14:01
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Oh man I can't believe you pulled a loudness war on us mate, that's cheeky as hell pal
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Nov 26, 2018 14:18
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Badger of Basra posted:Have American football players always suffered from CTE and this only recently began to be discussed, or has the prevalence of CTE actually increased? I assume it's the former, and problems from CTE before a few years ago were diagnosed as something else or hushed up. To add to the previous posters, the big thing that's changed recently (and what pushed it to be a big issue) is that we're learning that CTE damage can be done without ever having a concussion. It's one thing when a guy that gets punched in the head for a living gets it, but then you realize the lineman that never took a shot has the exact same thing
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Nov 26, 2018 15:01
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hooah posted:To expand on what tuyop said, the examples you seem to be sensitive to are where it's either used as an effect or when the singer is pretty far off the correct note. Almost all produced music has some autotune in it nowadays, but it's just to bring the note up or down a couple of cents (fractions of a half-step), so you almost certainly wouldn't notice it. It seems like it would be used to correct off-key singing, so yeah, I guess maybe it is used all the time and I don't notice it. So then, I guess all the examples I can think of are intentionally used for that "autotune sound." I guess actually, it seems kind of obvious that in a song that cost thirty thousand dollars to write, sample, mix, and record, someone who sounds like they're off-key is probably that way intentionally.
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Nov 26, 2018 15:34
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credburn posted:It seems like it would be used to correct off-key singing, so yeah, I guess maybe it is used all the time and I don't notice it. So then, I guess all the examples I can think of are intentionally used for that "autotune sound." Analog and digital distortion effects have been common in music for a very long time. Does this sort of effect also bother you?
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Nov 26, 2018 16:11
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Most people aren't listening with all that critical of an ear, dude. The average person just listens to what they like, or even just what their peers like, and doesn't think about it much more than that. The quality of the media one consumes is not the most important thing going on in most people's lives.
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Nov 26, 2018 16:16
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Question about health insurance appeals (Aetna HMO) because I've never done this before -- Back in July, I fell and tore a ligament in my thumb when I caught myself on my open hand. I went to Urgent Care, at a clinic that is in my insurance network. At the clinic, I was given an orthopedic brace to wear on my hand. I just got a bill from the orthopedic brace company for said brace -- $257.18 -- and the bill states at the bottom, "Your insurance carrier has stated the outstanding balance is your responsibility." Given that, 1) this exact same brace is $30 on Amazon, and 2) the torn ligament in my thumb did not require surgery because I wore this brace for two months (i.e., it was medically necessary), I'd like to appeal this bill with my insurance. Uh, how do I do this? What do I say to make my case when I call my insurance company, besides what I just wrote above? Is that enough?
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Nov 26, 2018 19:54
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Rabbit Hill posted:Question about health insurance appeals (Aetna HMO) because I've never done this before -- One thing that happens often is that the insurance claim was not correctly submitted through the insurance company. Either the paperwork was wrong or may not have been submitted at all. I just went through this where my doctor submitted a claim, insurance needed questions answered and the office never submitted the responses. Shortly after I got a bill for the procedure, which is fully covered. I had to call my insurance to ask why they didn't cover it, then got the response and then called my doctor's office and asked them to resend. This was a slight mistake as the same thing happened again for this same charge. As soon as I got off the call, something else came up, and they forgot to send in the answers again. Same bill came in a few months later. Had to do the same dance again, but managed to get on a call with both entities at the same time and they sorted it out then and there. So, in your situation, I would check with your insurer first, find out why they won't pay. If it's a paperwork thing, the insurance rep can explain that. If that's the case, give the rep the phone number and have them conference you in with urgent care at the same time. You will probably be needed to give personal info to confirm identity. Have everything in front of you, dates, times, numbers, etc. It will make answering questions easier. I can't guarantee that it will be that simple or that painless, but that's where I'd start. Good luck.
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Nov 26, 2018 21:36
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CzarChasm posted:One thing that happens often is that the insurance claim was not correctly submitted through the insurance company. Either the paperwork was wrong or may not have been submitted at all. I just went through this where my doctor submitted a claim, insurance needed questions answered and the office never submitted the responses. Shortly after I got a bill for the procedure, which is fully covered. I had to call my insurance to ask why they didn't cover it, then got the response and then called my doctor's office and asked them to resend. Assume incompetence at every possible opportunity.
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Nov 26, 2018 23:40
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Rabbit Hill posted:Question about health insurance appeals (Aetna HMO) because I've never done this before -- I do insurance billing for a couple of hospitals and see this all the time. I would question why the brace company billed you separately. See if the brace is on the Urgent Care bill. As for the price of the brace, the provider will get paid: a percentage of the cost, a flat rate, or nothing at all. You share will depend on your policy.
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Nov 26, 2018 23:49
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Why is ascorbic acid (vitamin c) added to Starburst candy? I can't imagine anyone buys it for the health benefits of the vitamin c. Is there a practical, food quality reason for it to be added?
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Nov 27, 2018 02:07
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I dunno specifically about starburst, but vitamin C costs like nothing and they advertise as being made with real fruit juice, which would make people suspicious if it didn't have however much vitamin C they'd expect from such a product. Also there are incredibly stupid people in this world that think that taking more than 100% of your daily recommended vitamin C dose will make you healthier, and a product having vitamin C in it will make them more likely to buy it.
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Nov 27, 2018 02:11
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Vitamin C is also a good way to keep various other ingredients in your food from oxidizing too fast in storage. It's not universally useful but a candy like starburst can benefit from it in that way and it's also very cheap to produce.
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Nov 27, 2018 02:24
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fishmech posted:Vitamin C is also a good way to keep various other ingredients in your food from oxidizing too fast in storage. It's not universally useful but a candy like starburst can benefit from it in that way and it's also very cheap to produce. Which is funny because people who don't like chemicals in their food could happily point out that ascorbic acid is an icky preservative between chewing emergenC
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Nov 27, 2018 03:51
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McSpanky posted:What's the origin of this Perestroika posted:It's from a Kelly political cartoon, who is the cartoonist of The Onion. Pretty sure the emote originated in the Political Cartoons thread over in D&D, too. I can't find the full comic offhand, but the specific panel is this one: Here's the full comic Painful Procedural 
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Nov 27, 2018 07:14
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Is there a thread about lock picking somewhere, or are there any forums or sources about lock picking folks would recommend? I have a locked door in the wall of my basement that I'm 99% sure provides access to the ash pit below my fireplace, but I don't have a key for it and would rather not pay someone to be able to open it. Also not sure why an ash pit has a lock on it.
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Nov 28, 2018 03:45
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Our coal cellar has a lock, presumably so the adults could keep kids from playing in it. Seems like that would be even more important for an ash pit? I would just drill out the lock, but I'm impatient like that.
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Nov 28, 2018 05:31
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Back in the day you could milk a 100 page thread out of a locked door in your basement, even if there was nothing but vintage porn and rat turds on the other side.
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Nov 28, 2018 05:47
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I bet theres another locked door inside
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Nov 28, 2018 05:52
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Why aren't most websites light text on dark background instead of vice versa? I don't know if it's personally preference but green on black or white on black has always been easier on my eyes. I was wondering if science was against me on this or what.
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Nov 28, 2018 07:14
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^^I also find white text on black background easier. I've used various browser extensions/addons/whatever for many years to accomplish this, even when it makes lots of media-heavy sites display terribly. You are not wrong. I am a lurker who has a question about doctors/health insurance that I'm hoping someone can advise me on. On November 8th I had a 6-hour long neurological-type test performed at a clinic that specializes in that sort of thing. I was told 1-2 weeks for results. On the two week anniversary I tried calling the office to prompt them for results. I left a message on VM asking for a call-back. I left two other messages asking for callback on two subsequent days. I then received a letter from my insurance company stating that they had approved coverage for a followup test, on condition that it be performed before the new year. I have called twice more since receiving this letter and managed to connect with a person one time. I told her I wanted test results and to talk about this mysterious followup test I'd been approved for because it had an expiration date. She transferred me to a voicemail box where I left another message. Total connection success score: 0.5 out of 5 calls. What the gently caress do I do about this whole situation? I'm 36 years old but my experience with the whole going to doctors thing is limited to pretty much the past two years. Also, it would be nice if I could solve it some way that's not the phone since I'm very annoyed with the phone at the moment. I could ask my work HR for advice? maybe? but whichever person I talk to will think I'm a moron for not knowing how to fix this. I'd rather be thought incompetent by random strangers than people who can influence my future career advancement, so that's where y'all come in. If anyone has a suggestion I'd appreciate it.
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Nov 28, 2018 12:09
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Me again. posted:^^I also find white text on black background easier. I've used various browser extensions/addons/whatever for many years to accomplish this, even when it makes lots of media-heavy sites display terribly. You are not wrong. You could go to the office itself.
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Nov 28, 2018 13:25
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How do I become more media literate, especially around Films and TV? I've recently taken it upon myself to start a thread in TBB about trying to read "Literature" and trying to improve my general understanding about narrative and what have you. But I've recently come to realise I have little to no understanding of the media of TV or Film either. Now I never did read a lot of big L Lit books before, but now that I have things are... coming together slowly. However, I have been watching TV and Film practically all my life and don't have any decent understanding of things like narrative, editing and the like when it comes to those things, so simply consuming more isn't going to help things this time. So, what are some simple starting steps I can take to start gaining a more intricate understanding about these things?
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Nov 28, 2018 14:08
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AlbieQuirky posted:Our coal cellar has a lock, presumably so the adults could keep kids from playing in it. Seems like that would be even more important for an ash pit? You won't need a whole thread. Look at a YouTube channel like bosnianbill and learn basic stuff like shimming a lock depending on what type it is. Most locks are super lovely and cheap.
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Nov 28, 2018 14:34
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ToxicSlurpee posted:You won't need a whole thread. Look at a YouTube channel like bosnianbill and learn basic stuff like shimming a lock depending on what type it is. Most locks are super lovely and cheap. Thanks, I'll check that channel out. It looks like one of the previous owners already drilled it out, but the thing still doesn't open so I'm not sure what to do with it. If it's full of anything more interesting than ash I'll be sure to try to milk at least a couple pages out of it. 
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Nov 28, 2018 14:45
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kedo posted:Thanks, I'll check that channel out. Post a picture. It might be as simple as sticking a large screwdriver in there and giving it a turn.
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Nov 28, 2018 14:58
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Just get an axe and chop the door down! I can't handle this!
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Nov 28, 2018 15:12
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