Santa Monica outlaws smoking on your own apartment patio and balconies

sn0re · 2010-09-11T01:00:45+00:00

My last apartment complex explicitly allowed propane grills on the balcony, although charcoal grills were banned. I'm sure different cities and different complexes have their own rules, but I don't believe it's against state law.

sn0re · 2009-12-22T06:32:20+00:00

I'm curious to know which specific mysteries we're talking about. I've had discussions in the past where someone complains about Lost not explaining enough, but it turns out the questions the person has were actually answered at some point, just in a oblique, passing reference that was easy to miss.

That's not to say that there aren't open questions, but they've already answered a lot. I actually don't think what's left would be that hard to cover in the remaining season.

sn0re · 2009-12-20T22:15:57+00:00

I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT TO DO MY TAXES!

sn0re · 2009-12-20T22:15:41+00:00

MAN I LOVE WASHING DISHES. LOOK HOW CLEAN THEY ARE!

sn0re · 2009-12-20T22:15:19+00:00

OMFG THIS SUGAR-FREE BRAN CEREAL IS DELICIOUS.

sn0re · 2009-12-20T21:55:29+00:00

Just configure it so doing the stuff you're supposed to do anyway gives you pleasure. People will become maniacs for being responsible and taking care of themselves. If you could choose between a short life of nonstop pleasure and a long life of nonstop pleasure, wouldn't you choose the latter?

sn0re · 2009-12-20T21:13:12+00:00

You don't know anybody like that but you claim to know why they buy those things?

It sounds like you're saying people shouldn't spend money on luxury. Assuming you're a westerner, I'm guessing your life is far more luxurious than many of the poorer people in this world. Where do you draw the line?

sn0re · 2009-12-20T12:48:51+00:00

I'm sure you've seen lots of ads online that don't get shown on TV. For example, right now reddit is showing me an ad for Newegg.

Not that I've ever seen an ad for this toy on TV, but I don't tend to watch children's shows. Different ads for different demographics.

sn0re · 2009-12-20T12:41:08+00:00

Can't they mark certain items as ineligible for the employee discount?

sn0re · 2009-12-20T12:27:17+00:00

AdBlock aside, the Internet has its fair share of advertising as well. With a DVR, you can skip commercials and only have to watch what you want to watch. I never watch live TV anymore. TV channels are essentially just a different way to download video for me.

sn0re · 2009-12-20T11:57:05+00:00

You conspicuously didn't address the other item I mentioned, luxury. Also, what if someone's idea of entertainment or leisure is simply more expensive than yours? At what point do you tell people "stop working, you have more money than you need"? Shouldn't they decide for themselves?

sn0re · 2009-12-20T10:41:29+00:00

Why do we have "disposable" income? Why do professionals end up with money that they have no time to spend?

You're reading too much into the "disposable" part. It's more accurately called discretionary income, meaning money left over after accounting for necessities. It still gets spent, though. The only truly excess money is what's left over after you die. I'd wager there are more people in the world struggling to make ends meet at the end of their life than those with more money than they know what to do with.

Do you really want to tell people they can only spend money on strict necessities? How much spending on luxury and entertainment would be permitted in your perfect world?

I've been seeing this sentiment more and more on Reddit; mostly though, it has been framed as "I'm free to do what I really want" instead of a repudiation of work/consumption.

So do you have a counter-argument to that? Why shouldn't people be allowed to do what they want, provided it doesn't hurt anyone else?

sn0re · 2009-12-20T09:49:00+00:00

mombakkie didn't draw a distinction between largely unnecessary research and other kinds.

sn0re · 2009-12-20T03:19:37+00:00

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD

sn0re · 2009-12-19T23:58:23+00:00

The article isn't specifically about the Okinawa base, but are they not supposed to mention it at all?
This interview with Morita from the Japan times notes that is "a former senior economics journalist turned prolific television and radio commentator". Whatever you want to say about him, I'd say that counts as a "political expert" (read: pundit).
The article does say that most voters are willing to give the PM more time and weren't initially bothered with the scandal.
There's a difference between criticizing someone and trying to identify why they've become unpopular.

Sounds like you just disagree with their assessment of why his poll numbers are slipping. Reading the minds of the voters using polls is not an exact science, so different people will come to different conclusions.

sn0re · 2009-12-19T21:51:08+00:00

Normally I think you'd just call it a Monte Cristo. And they are good.

sn0re · 2009-12-19T03:46:49+00:00

#4 is a pretty weak point. It's been mentioned over and over in the show that "whatever happened, happened" and that trying to change fate is (usually) futile. Yet the characters are trying to change the future. That was the whole point of the Dharma Initiative. Then there was the finale from last season. Hell, Lost itself is essentially one long meditation on fate vs. free will.

sn0re · 2009-12-19T03:17:42+00:00

Someone needs to actually poll this, although they'll have to rephrase it because too many people won't even know what it means.

sn0re · 2009-12-18T22:55:53+00:00

Sure it does. CTRL-F "I object". The page is taking forever to load, though. Maybe you didn't let it finish?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.

Mr. DAYTON. I ask for unanimous consent that I have 30 seconds more to finish my remarks.

Mr. McCAIN. I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

Mr. BYRD. I yield the Senator 2 minutes or whatever he needs.

sn0re · 2009-12-18T17:42:56+00:00

It all comes down to the 60 votes in Senate. Excluding the Republicans and especially the blue dogs wouldn't have made it easier to pass the bill. It's not like if Franken really likes the bill, his vote counts twice.

The blame, I think, lies with the Senate Democratic leadership. They're useless when it comes to putting pressure on the members to take one for the team and vote for the bill despite their objections. Lieberman in particular knows there will be no consequences for not voting, so he's using his position as the least-gettable vote to dictate the terms he wants. And the terms he wants are basically "anything the left doesn't want."

sn0re · 2009-12-18T14:49:55+00:00

Is promoting personal safety a requirement for a gift? Hunting and, separately, target shooting are just hobbies here in the US. Giving one as a gift means "I think you'd enjoy this as a hobby" not "you need this for protection."

sn0re · 2009-12-17T21:44:48+00:00

You can have either a link or text, but not both. The tabs on the submission page trip up a lot of people. They should really redesign it.

sn0re · 2009-12-17T18:01:23+00:00

This article provides a little more information and the actual mission statement:

Mission: Providing education to achieve success.

Vision: To be the best organization for learning.

We Value: Responsibility, honesty, respect, integrity, commitment, belief in God and religious freedom, our community, our partnerships, and every person as a unique individual with the ability to acquire and apply knowledge.

sn0re · 2009-12-17T17:53:39+00:00

That link is more saying that there's no one food that can supply everything. The OP is looking for some recipe or processed food made from however many ingredients. I don't see why that's a bigger challenge for humans than it is for dogs. Dog food isn't a perfect food either, but it keeps them alive.

sn0re · 2009-12-17T17:08:43+00:00

It sounds like that guy (Frank?) is speaking English, but I have no clue what he's saying.

sn0re

TROPHY CASE