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baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Elphiem posted:

Why do characters in movies and TV always say that they want to "call their lawyer"?

Don't most people just hire lawyers on an ad hoc basis? Maybe some people do have their own lawyers, but isn't this mostly rich people? In TV and movies it seems like everyone has their own lawyer just waiting in the wings.

Lawyers themselves don't typically sit around police stations waiting for clients, they are at their own offices and need to be called. The pronoun "their" merely possesses the lawyer predicate because the lawyer will be theirs personally.

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baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Elphiem posted:

That's not really what I was getting at.

I was talking about how these characters in TV and movies have a lawyer that they know personally, and are usually on a first-name basis with. So when they say "their lawyer", they really mean it.

Most people in the real world don't have that, they usually have to research/find a lawyer for their particular problem, and then hire someone that they've never met before.

It's an easy way for writers to skip the plot of lawyer getting to know the client? Maybe they're trying to convey this person is fairly wealthy or influential. Do you have any particular examples to disucss? They likely have varying answers.

Edit:
I have a lawyer's number on me right now, never met the guy but I could be on the phone with a lawyer's office like that if I felt I needed one. I think just about everyone should have some guy's card on them.

baquerd fucked around with this message at 12:16 on Sep 1, 2010

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Elphiem posted:

But don't most lawyers specialize in certain areas of law? You wouldn't call a corporate lawyer for a divorce case.

So wouldn't most people need to research/find a lawyer?

Any lawyer will do for a start, and can recommend you another lawyer if they are not specialists in what you need one for.

Protip: If you need a lawyer in a hurry it's pretty much always going to be a criminal one.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

hooah posted:

I recently bought a baseball cap, and the brim is pre-curved. However, it's curved too much for my taste. Is there a way I can flatten it out somewhat that's better than just setting books or something on it for a while?

Using an industrial metal press, apply 20,000 pounds of pressure. Flat hat.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Dr. Video Games 0089 posted:

Is there an adjective or name that describes a person who likes things to be simple or simplified?

Minimalist.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Sieg posted:

What sign could he have possibly have discovered that made him do the FSB after the five minutes of questioning? I answered every question honestly, quickly, and didn't show any of the signs you mentioned.

Your face, he didn't like it.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Roundboy posted:

here is something that i think is so simple, but the math escapes me.

given 2 choices, which is the better one.

1) doing something that has a 1% chance to win 5 times

or

2) doing something that has a 5% chance to win ONE time

For the 5x above, each chance is 'reset', so its not like you are drawing tickets and lowering the total number each time. Each pull is exactly a 1% chance.

maths tells me they should be equal, but doesn't the fact you are doing one multiple times factor in?

Yes, multiple trials affects the outcome here and the probability of winning the 1% one is actually lower than the 5% one: 4.9009951 by applying the appropriate binomial distribution equations. However, you have a ~0.098% chance of winning more than once.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

stubblyhead posted:

Let's say for the sake of argument that the prize is $1000 and there is no entry fee. Your expected value (EV) in scenario two is 1000*.05, or $50. In scenario one, the EV is (1000*.01*5), which yields the same value, so if you are allowed to keep playing after a win, then in the long run there is no advantage either way.

Right, the approximately 1/5000 occurrence of a double win within a series of 5 (if you want to segment it like that) balances the lower odds of winning in any particular group of 5. It effectively "steals" the unlucky group of 5's potential win.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Roundboy posted:

you can pull form hat 1 5 times(and put the non-wins back in) or pull from hat 2 once. What do you choose to do ?

Scroll up, this is closed.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

b0nes posted:

What are the rules to use a credit card? My boss rotinely gives his credit card to his junior manager for him to go to the store and buy stuff for meetings. How can he use his credit card? aren't they supposed to ask for ID?

My aunt wants me to go to the store and buy stuff for her, she gives me her ID and the credit card. So if they ask for ID I show them her card?

Generally, you are not required to show ID by virtue of the merchant's agreement with the credit card company. In practicality, you only need to authorize the charges, you don't have to make them. Usually, credit card companies like to see multiple people put on the account though.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Conartist posted:

I have a math related question. This is from a GRE study book thing and I'm kinda lost about the books answer to this question and it's validity.

I have a degree in math and I have never seen this in an academic setting. It's way out of the box at the very least. Are you sure the x and y didn't have little subscripts on them? That would make more sense.

It's a "meh" brainteaser, or a terribly written math problem.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Sad Panda posted:

I'm an ESL teacher in Korea. I have a student who lived in the US for 4 years and she says "I cut my hair at the weekend". To me that isn't what she meant and it should be "I got my hair cut". Is it an American v British difference or is she wrong?

Americans would generally say "during" the weekend, not "at", though your version is more correct if someone else cut her hair and not herself.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Mr. Crow posted:

Wait, what? :psyduck:

I always thought prison was were the bad poo poo happened and jail was :airquote: OK :airquote: if not crowded... I worked with a guy who was in prison for a few years and I didn't bring it up to often for obvious reasons but the couple times we did talk about it, it seemed pretty bad... Never heard or asked about rape or anything, again, for obvious reasons, but it seemed like it was pretty horrible.

And he was a pretty big dude. Pretty racist too, which I always attributed to his time in prison.

This depends dramatically on the facility is my understanding. Country lockup in LA, Chicago, NYC is going to be nightmarish, in a smaller town it could be uncrowded and clean. State lockup, medium to maximum is the worst place to be in the nation. Federal lockup tends to be more humane, as are minimum security prisons in general.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Harms posted:

Also, is there any way to turn the auto update for Windows 7 off? Sort of annoying having to click postpone over and over when I don't want to restart.

Yes, but you really, really, shouldn't if you don't already know how (and especially if you can't google it). 4 hours is more than enough time to find a place to restart.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Eia posted:

How on earth would one fix a hole in one's bucket with straw????

This has been driving me crazy every time my toddler requires me to sing There's A Hole In My Bucket for 40 minutes at bedtime.

Not particularly well with just straw, but well enough to reduce the leak to a drip and carry out small tasks with it. You could make a weave out of it as well, depending on the type of hole you have. If you have some more time and other materials there's wattle and daub.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

sc4rs posted:

Interesting question, I'd love to hear the real answer as my best guess (hospitals are desperate enough for kidney donations that they foot the bill for the related procedures themselves?) has its own related issues.

The kidney donor pays nothing and makes nothing, same for their insurance. The kidney receiver is responsible for all bills, and this is written out in a contract before hand.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Sad Panda posted:

When writing an application letter how forthright should I be?

If I hear that I am accepted I will...
Upon hearing that I am accepted I will...

For what?

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Sad Panda posted:

College application letter that one of my students is writing.

The traditional advice when applying to a job is to focus on what you can bring to the company. However, for undergraduate, the college pretty much only has one use for you - you're a money tree. Unless your student is an academic elite with publications already and a massive GPA (in which case they're getting in most places full ride anyways), there's jack poo poo your student can bring to the school in terms of real value.

I would avoid the phrasing altogether and focus on demonstrated accomplishments and goals. Anything that could conceivably be "affirmative actioned", race/sexual orientation, etc. should 100% be shoehorned in, hopefully as an anecdote of overcoming adversity.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless
Could a licensed casino have a "beginner's" room, with better odds and VIP treatment but only for your first X visits?

Pr0phecy posted:

Can someone tell me why the gently caress battlebots went off air? God drat.

They didn't cater to the technical nerds enough and the action wasn't really that exciting at all as much as they tried to dress it up.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

kapalama posted:

As mentioned I am catching up on the first season of CSI. In one episode, the comment is made that some child of a rich family should have a cell phone with the line:

"A rich family like that, the kid should have a cellphone right?"

Are there any kids without cellphones now? Have things changed that much in ten years?

Yes, there are plenty of people from infants to adults that do not yet have cellphones, and even some that do not want them.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless
Every prescription medicine I've ever seen says that if you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible or skip it, and never to take a double dose. Is anyone aware of medications that are indicated to double up?

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Wedemeyer posted:

Anyone experienced with paypal refunds? I got a seller saying when they got my money they transferred it to their bank account. I opened a dispute when they didn't send me the tickets--turns out they lost them--and apparently they used their credit card to pay the amount of money back to paypal.

But I'm not seeing it in my paypal balance. Should I just escalate it? Paypal help is no use to me and just says some automated message.

You're in the middle of getting scammed, start the escalation process immediately on all disputes, then contact the seller because the process has an expiration date.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

The Gay Bean posted:

I was really into a MUD once (a BBS doors game). It still has players. Back in the day, a license cost $600 for a BBS, and the rights are still owned by a company (it's not abandonware).

What would be the legality of making a not-for-profit independent creation based on that MUD, such as a Neverwinter Nights or Oblivion mod, and then maybe releasing that to people (if I were to ever actually finish it)? I'm talking a very large degree of similarity--the shape/layout of the world would correspond almost directly to those in the MUD and names would remain the same.

Legality aside, in reality the worst that will happen with a not-for-profit mod borrowing obscure intellectual property is that you get a cease and desist letter. Also, are you 100% sure this isn't abandonware? I find it incredibly hard to believe that BBS software from the 90's could be given away, let alone sold.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Tostito posted:

I have been told that being in good shape and being good looking increases your chances of getting a job/holding a job/advancing the ladder immeasurably. From the perspective of someone who is actually out in the real working world, do you find that this is true?

This is absolutely true for a variety of reasons, and not just your external appearance, but your internal outlook and how it feels to be you.

As I went from obese to fit over 2 years, a 5% annual raise turned into a 10% raise, and a 20% raise this year. People who I thought didn't like me became friendly, my boss started conversations to get to know me, and its been indicated I'm overdue for a promotion. You can get noticed for physical stature before you even open your mouth, and instead of being avoided as in the past I am usually acknowledged respectfully.

If you've never been to both extremes of fitness, it's very hard to realize the dramatic extent physical appearance has on every facet of your life.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Tostito posted:

I have Rosetta Stone French. Should I skip French 101 (which does not count towards my gen ed), opting instead to complete Rosetta Stone before going into 102 like a pro? I'm inquiring because I believe 101 will be a giant waste of my time if I can just skip to 102 with a solid Stoned up background.

The only reason I would take 101 would be to solidify my skills. Basically I'm asking if anyone has experience using rosetta stone. I know very little french.

The approach Rosetta Stone uses and the approach your class will use are almost certainly not the same. Learning literal translations and conjugations and verb forms are all crap that Rosetta Stone expects you to intuit over time, while your class will teach you them directly and test you on them. I would use it as an adjunct while going through 101 myself.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Peristalsis posted:

My new(ish) job is supporting a web app that runs on top of an Oracle database. It seems like every week, we have some big production issue with it - the new version of Oracle doesn't like our old PL/SQL code, a memory leak is crashing production every 35 hours, some minor configuration issue just became a big problem, etc. Is this normal for Oracle databases, or am I just on a team of losers? If it is typical of Oracle, are other database products like this, too? Do MySQL and MS SQL server constantly need some sort of tweaking and/or upgrading?

Are you updating your Oracle software regularly? In the corporate world where I work, rolling out a new version of your database software is a once a year (if that) event with lots of prep time, and yes it does often cause a myriad of problems.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

RaoulDuke12 posted:

This might be more for sh/sc, but it's so simple it doesn't seem worth asking there.

What exactly is the point of all this n/a/b wireless network stuff? My dinosaur wrt54g claims speeds up to 54mbps...I have the fastest internet connection available to me and it's only around 20mbps. Is it just for networking purposes or something?

Basically, for what reason would I ever need to get faster than wireless-g?

Yes, local networking is the primary reason, for example streaming a 1080p video file to a wireless media player uncompressed would take over 300mbps, only possible with (n). Depending on the compression of the video though, you can fit it barely over (g), but you will never see decent 1080p over (b).

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

kapalama posted:

What's the brand name of the once a year period birth control?

Try typing this exact question into Google.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Gravity Pike posted:

Why is it that everything in the United States needs to list nutritional information and ingredients except alcohol? I mean, I get to see that my bottled water contains "Water," and has 0% of my RDA Vitamin C, but I'm left guessing that a beer has "probably 200?" calories, and hard liquor is an utter mystery. I can google any specific drink that I'm interested in; I'm just curious as to why I have to.

http://foodinamerica.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/a-new-alcohol-law-blog-nutrition-facts-and-beer/

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless
What does the phrase "A quieter life" mean to you?

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

elbow posted:

What can we do to get rid of these birds?

A pellet gun and 30 minutes of waiting for them to hold still will solve your problem.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

elbow posted:

I'm not killing birds because they are making GBS threads on my balcony, but nice suggestion anyway!

Then you'll need to trap them or cover all exposed bits between the bars with a netting no more than ~1" square per block. Alternatively, look into a sonic solution but I don't know about those.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

favoritehello posted:

I once knew a girl that would sneeze five times in a row when she sneezed and they would sound like 5 short squeeks. It was so bizarre. I really don't think she would do it purposely to draw attention to herself since it happened more than one occasion and she was made fun of it by her co-workers.

I'm a guy, but I do the multiple sneezing thing. 3 sneeze minimum when I do sneeze.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Travakian posted:

When I take them off, I've got these extremely-noticeable red marks where the... plastic nose-resting-things sit (my eloquence with English astounds even me, sometimes); will these ever fade, or is it indicative of the glasses sitting too.. tight?

Yes, too tight (rarely too loose and they slide down, get pushed up, repeat x50). Get them re-adjusted or get used to it if you like it that tight.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

KittenofDoom posted:

Is there a polite way to tell my roommate, "Your indoor smoking is making the entire apartment smell like an ashtray?"

I'm the new guy in the place, and I've already asked him to at least close his door and open his window when he smokes in his room, which he did for all of a day. I don't want to nag, and moving out's not much of an option right now, but I'm tired of going out wearing clean clothes that make me smell like a chain smoker.

Unless he's hanging by the windowsill, blowing smoke straight out the screen, and keeping a wet towel under the door while using air fresheners, your place is going to stink a bit. Nature of the beast.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Gravity Pike posted:

VV - I was given some gas which didn't knock me out, but made me goofy as poo poo, and I blacked out immediately. Apparently I kept on insisting that I was the "main character", and that they couldn't treat me like this. :D

There aren't any such gasses, you were also given something else in addition to the nitrous or you were in fact knocked out.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Eyeball posted:

People react differently to different drugs. Nitrous can make people act pretty goofy.

Nitrous does not cause black outs unless you are depriving the person of oxygen. They probably gave him some benzos and he doesn't even remember because well, benzos.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless
For stabbing victims in general, no particular region or time period, are there any data on mortality rate versus number of stab wounds?

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Akuma posted:

Why does my mouth get all watery right before I throw up?

Related thing, about 10-15 minutes before I vomit, my hands start to get more and more numb that by the time it happens I've lost all fine motor control. Why is this?

How often do you throw up that you recognize signs before the event? Do you know why you are throwing up?

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baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Breath Ray posted:

I'd like to see where and how many times a word's been mentioned in a single, multi-page thread. Without SA search or anything, how would I go about that? Using Google?

e.g. I want to see how often someone says 'welp' itt http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3343753

Without tools known to me for this purpose, I would recommend a simple script that gets a page, greps for "whelp" and then loops to increment the page number value in the GET request.

code:
#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use HTTP::Request;
use HTTP::Response;
use LWP::Simple;
use LWP::UserAgent;

#default phrase to look for
my $goonPhrase = "welp";
my $URL = "http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3343753&pagenumber=";

printf("Searching FBI database for $goonPhrase\n");

my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new();
$ua->timeout(60);


for ($i = 1; $i < 50; $i++) {
my $uaRequest = HTTP::Request->new(GET => "$URL" + "$i");
my $uaResponse = $ua->request($uaRequest);

if ($uaResponse->is_error()) {
        printf("Formatting drive C: %s", $uaResponse->status_line);
        die;
}

my $pageContents = $uaResponse->content();
my @pageLines = split(/\n/, $pageContents);

foreach my $line (@pageLines) {
        if ($line =~ /$goonPhrase/) {
              #magic happens here, count your phrases, do whatever
              #per-line count basis, multiple phrases same line count as 1
        }
}
}

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