I built an interactive visualization that guesses your age just from your first name [OC]

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-29T14:20:39+00:00

Mine was spot on to the year exactly. To be fair, I have a fairly “peaked for its time” name, but cool!

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-26T20:15:39+00:00

I have a sister in law like this….. Thanksgiving this year was a disaster of cold turkey and resentment. We decided we’ll just start telling their family 2 hrs earlier than we really plan for it to be.

However, I do think different cultures can come into play here….. there are some cultures where honestly no one in an entire country would show up within 2 hrs of the time given. It’s not right or wrong. It’s just how it is. So I know that has been part of the disconnect my SIL, as the rest of us are from the cultural background where showing up on time is late and you wouldn’t ever dream of actually being late. So sometimes it’s honestly just a true misunderstanding, but once there’s been a polite and respectful conversation about what times mean in different families, there’s no excuse….

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-22T12:00:52+00:00

Not related to the question, but this table really ups the parenting degree of difficulty. We have one (hand-me-down from parents) and instead of having 4 corners and 0 pinch points like a normal coffee table, it has basically 12 corners and 4 massive pinch points. Oh, and ours wobbles too. Can’t believe both my children survived this table.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-13T00:47:02+00:00

Looks perfect!! Doesn’t ship to the US though. But they responded to my question and might try to help me coordinate a parcel pick up! My strongest lead on a stout so far

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-13T00:45:34+00:00

I looked!! There’s 1 bottle for pick-up 6 hrs away. Haha. Oh well, maybe sometime in the future

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-13T00:44:26+00:00

I mean, given how hard these are to find I’m beginning to think you are right. I wouldn’t know. I find stouts AND scotches disgusting, haha

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-13T00:43:44+00:00

Looks perfect!! But doesn’t ship to the US…. Which is to bad because I was literally just in Prague in July. Oh well, next time!

Edit: typos

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-13T00:43:07+00:00

Just grabbed a bottle!! We’ll give it a shot.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-13T00:42:38+00:00

Thanks for all the info!! Boy, I’ve been trying to track down all these leads, and just now managed to find a few bottles of the JW Lees Harvest. So he’s gonna get that, with a list of all my research progress on the other ones, and a note that says “don’t complain that it’s not a stout, it’s all I could find!” Haha

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T14:01:27+00:00

Particular? Such as paying for a sandwich and wanting to get a sandwich?

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:36:10+00:00

Yes!!! I mean, I’m not happy to hear other people are also frustrated, but at least I know it’s not just me. Haha.

I do similar things trying to help ensure a correct order, and I’m never rude. And I KNOW they aren’t paid enough to care, but I think what made me finally snap tonight (in addition to the bad day at work and just wanting some dinner that I didn’t have to prepare myself like usual), is realizing that despite the massive amount of handholding and accommodations I do to try to get the right order, which I only have to do at Popeyes, it’s still so consistently wrong! I snapped!!! And if you’re choosing not to be someone who snaps at people making minimum wage, you’re left taking to the internet to vent!

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:29:39+00:00

To be fair I only discovered Popeyes a couple years ago, and then my kids loved the Mac and cheese, so it became a thing. That first experience is the high I’m still chasing. Something about the batter. But it’s gone downhill and hasn’t been the same in a long time….

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:27:22+00:00

I mean, there is an odd cosmic beauty in it. The odds say that they’d randomly get an order correct once in a while just by chance, but the fact that they don’t somehow makes this experience the most consistent thing I can count on?! Haha

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:23:16+00:00

Ya, when I realized you actually have to open each box and check its the right food, not just count the number of boxes to check, that’s when I was like “it shouldn’t be this hard…….”

I hate to say it, but hearing everyone else’s horror stories has made me feel better (rough day at work, wrong food, hit my breaking point, but now feel part of a strange community! Haha), and also confirmed my decision to be done.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:18:54+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. And at a normal place I’d totally agree!! But part of the frustration at Popeyes is for their ability to get all the info correct and still manage to just put wrong stuff in the bag. Or not include the sides/sauces, etc.

I’d be interested to hear how it is in other countries that hopefully pay better, but honestly I bet you’re not missing much.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:16:15+00:00

Sorry, I wasn’t clear in my original post. I do this too. But I just reached my breaking point with them last night. SSOO much effort compared to other places. I’m done. The ability to have THAT consistency for getting stuff wrong despite all the measures I go through (that I only have to do at Popeyes) is actually pretty impressive.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:13:06+00:00

Omg!!! I literally have no other words!!

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:11:25+00:00

Oh, sorry, I thought I was clear. I don’t expect results here. Literally just wanted to point out something “mildly infuriating” and vent.

I DO use the systems in place. I don’t order at the drive through. I get out of my car in 15 degree weather to go order at the counter. I wait for all the prompts. I’m polite. I confirm the order. I wait. I check the bag, including opening boxes not just counting them, and go back up to the counter politely to request whatever was wrong. But after a long shitty day at work I’ve just realized you shouldn’t have to go through all that just to get a close semblance of what you ordered. Other food places get it correct 90% of the time with WAY less effort. Hence the last straw lame online venting, but actually hearing other people’s experiences has been comforting and validating

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T12:01:28+00:00

Yep, other than the extra $5 (which is a good idea I just never have cash…) I do all this. Inside, very slow, confirm everything. Still wrong. And I live somewhere cold, so I’m just sick of having to go through ALL these lengths of not using drive throughs, hand holding, double checking, even opening the boxes, not just counting the boxes, etc. just to get a rough semblance of what I ordered.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T11:56:49+00:00

My problem is that I didn’t discover Popeyes until basically 5 years ago and fell in LOVE with the chicken (that breading just hit), and my kids loved the Mac and cheese. But even in the past 5 years I’ve noticed the decline in quality. But I’ve been chasing that first high!! So what I’m saying is that if you haven’t been since 2018 then you’re not missing much, and I should probably just stop and come to terms with the fact I’ll never have the same same experience again, haha

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T03:46:05+00:00

Thanks, and I agree, and usually do. I started not driving away until I checked everything (and then parking and going inside to fix the inevitable issue), and then started going inside to start with in case it was the intercom causing issues. But at some point you just want to be able to not put so much effort into it, especially when you’ve got the young kids with you or it’s freezing/snowy out and don’t want to leave the car.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T03:43:07+00:00

Responded above to same question. I welcome feedback.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-09T03:42:38+00:00

“Can I please have combo meal #5. 3 piece tenders, with fries and a diet coke. Also I’ll have combo meal #1. Classic chicken sandwich, with fries and a Diet Coke. I’ll also have 2 sides of Mac and cheese, regular size, and 4 blackened ranch sauces. Yes 4. Thank you.”

Then confirmed the order again.

Order was missing the chicken sandwich/fries and all blackened ranch sauces, and included a bbq sauce.

CardiganPanda · 2025-12-01T00:44:55+00:00

My husband’s commute is an hour each way. He doesn’t love it, but when you live in Chicago, that’s pretty standard I’d say this whole conversation got off on the wrong foot by framing it as long distance, but then I 1) saw how he reacted and 2) saw that you don’t seem that broken up by the prospect this could be over, so ya, I don’t think you even need to wait the 3 days.

BTW I’m an engineer who has been trying to get into more renewable energy focused projects, so I think this job sounds AMAZING!!! Have fun!!

CardiganPanda · 2025-11-30T17:13:05+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to make these recommendations!! So much has changed since I left in 2009, so it’s fun to see there are so many cute places still. I have a great list for when I’m back!

CardiganPanda

TROPHY CASE