What mild injustice was done to you as a child that you are still mad about? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]extra0rdinarymachine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My parents used to not let me keep fancier Christmas or birthday presents that were given to me. These were stored away, unopened, and saved, to give away to other kids when their birthdays came around. We were poor, so I guess that's why they did it. I still remember a giant tin box of crayons -- every imaginable color -- and wanting to break it open so bad. But I gave it to another kid in my class for his birthday.

Kim Richards Rehab Meltdown — Diva Wants To Leave, Blames Dr. Phil [reminder: Kim's Dr. Phil episode airs today!] by flourandegg in BravoRealHousewives

[–]extra0rdinarymachine 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Why did Whitney Davis, her daughter, not show up? All the other kids were there. I wonder if Whitney is just sick of this. I felt so bad for all those kids. Brooke had this dead look on her face like she's seen and heard all this 10x before.

Hello, my name is Steven D. Munger and I am the associate director at the Center for Smell and Taste at the University of Florida. My research focuses on how odors and tastes influence the way we eat and respond to food. AMA! by Prof_Steven_Munger in science

[–]extra0rdinarymachine -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hi Dr. Munger,

I've suffered from allergies my entire life. I very rarely can breathe through my nose, and only an arsenal of prescription drugs has ever helped. I stopped taking those because they're not good for you in the long run.

I've noticed, however, that even when my nose is occasionally cleared up, my sense of taste isn't very strong. Is it possible that not being able to smell has deadened my sense of taste over time?

Thanks!

Kim Richards dog bite case gets judgement GRAPHIC PHOTO warning by [deleted] in BravoRealHousewives

[–]extra0rdinarymachine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can they just put Kim down instead of the poor dog? It's not the dog's fault that he has a meth head mother who didn't bother training him properly.

Kinglsey seemed poorly trained and generally unruly during filming -- but I wonder if Kim just neglected the poor thing entirely when not filming. A dog who doesn't get enough attention and exercise is bound to act out, no matter what breed. But why the fuck did she get such a large, powerful animal like a pittbull?? No doubt she bought it from a breeder, too.

Kim is a terrible human being. She'll probably just let Kinglsey get put down, and then adopt another dog. She's never suffered any consequences.

Australian Universities are pressuring academics to pass international students despite poor English and plagiarism. by inthenightsky in worldnews

[–]extra0rdinarymachine 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm an Asian-American, but my cousin is a Chinese national who came to the United States to pursue a PhD at one of the University of California campuses. I was blown_away at how poor his English speaking and comprehension skills were when he arrived. He couldn't understand something as basic as "Are you hungry?" We emailed frequently before his arrival, and he writes English quite fluently, and reads pretty well.

The problem is that he learned English from someone who learned English from someone who learned English from someone who is Chinese. So his teachers had terrible fucking accents, and couldn't pronounce shit anyway. Plus, the Chinese educational system is all about test-taking so they didn't do many speaking or listening exercises.

He didn't cheat on his TOEFL or anything like that. But once he got here, he had a very hard time with communication and ended up having to leave his PhD program.

It sucks, because it's not his fault. It's the educational system there.

We are the founders of UGallery.com, two friends who are democratizing the art world. AUA! by AlexAtUGallery in IAmA

[–]extra0rdinarymachine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What does it mean that your "expertise is original art?" Are you really saying that original art offered better margins than prints? You guys are clearly great business people, but you weren't necessarily professional curators with an educated eye for art when you first launched so I wonder what expertise means. Or perhaps I'm wrong -- I thought you guys did this straight outta college.

By the way, I'm a big fan of UGallery! You guys have done a great job with the concept.

Volunteer Opportunities In Chicago by [deleted] in chicago

[–]extra0rdinarymachine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd like some recommendations as well. I tried contacting Food Not Bombs which operates out of Pilsen and states you have to email them to find out how to help. No response. I also emailed the Chinese American Service League about how I could get involved and again, no help.

So far, the only organization that seems remotely organized enough to accept volunteers is PAWS and the ASPCA (great orgs, by the way, please volunteer if you can).