The Very Many Questions-Not-Worth-Their-Own-Thread Thread XXXII

[Synobun]

Now I can tell all my friends I'm like Da Vinci.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Does anyone know why Ok Go videos are so jerky? They look like clamation animation. My gut feeling is that they do their best to perfectly synchronize with the music but can't quite nail it so they tweak the speed of the video to sync up with the music.

 

[Traitorfish]

Do Israelis like vodka?

A lot of Israelis originate in the the "Vodka belt" region of Europe, so it seems like it should have carried over, in the same way that the Scots-Irish parts of America and the whisky-distilling parts of America overlap almost 1:1, but it's not something I've seen specifically associated with them.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Does anybody like vodka ?
It just tastes of water and ethanol.
The "better" the vodka, the more tasteless it it.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Stop living my life!

Given that I am much older, it seems more like YOU are living MY life.

 

[Mouthwash]

Do Israelis like vodka?

A lot of Israelis originate in the the "Vodka belt" region of Europe, so it seems like it should have carried over, in the same way that the Scots-Irish parts of America and the whisky-distilling parts of America overlap almost 1:1, but it's not something I've seen specifically associated with them.

We have a lot a recent Russian/Ukrainian immigrants, but as for second or third generation Israelis I've not seen any signs of preference toward vodka. I don't really go to bars however, but I'll ask one of my partying friends.

 

[Traitorfish]

Does anybody like vodka ?
It just tastes of water and ethanol.
The "better" the vodka, the more tasteless it it.

See, I used to think that, but I've tried some decent-quality vodka, and I kinda get it. It's not as straightforward as whisky, where even if you don't get the nuances you can at least appreciate the broad flavours like "toffee" or "wet dirt", but there's something to it.

 

[Takhisis]

Given that I am much older, it seems more like YOU are living MY life.

Well, you see, I live in a hemisphere where you lot claim everything's upside down and in the wrong order, so YOU are living MY life.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

See, I used to think that, but I've tried some decent-quality vodka, and I kinda get it. It's not as straightforward as whisky, where even if you don't get the nuances you can at least appreciate the broad flavours like "toffee" or "wet dirt", but there's something to it.

I am insufficiently skilled to appreciate vodka as anything but an ingredient, no matter the quality...and as an ingredient the quality makes very little difference as long as it isn't just outright bottom of the barrel.

Well, you see, I live in a hemisphere where you lot claim everything's upside down and in the wrong order, so YOU are living MY life.

Perhaps we are mirror images leading a life held in common. Thanks for being the upside down member in the pair, as I would find that disorienting.

 

[Traitorfish]

I pulled out my one bottle of decentish vodka (CHINGGIS MONGOLIAN GOLD, the Conan the Adventure opening theme of vodka branding) to prove to myself that I was wasn't wrong, and, y'know, there is something to it, there's a sort of crisp sweetness, smooth, nice mouthfeel... But I'll admit that I've gone back to my comforting wet dirt.

What can I say, I don't have that subtle Slavic palette.

 

[The_J]

Does anybody like vodka ?
It just tastes of water and ethanol.
The "better" the vodka, the more tasteless it it.

I recommend a visit to Poland .

 

[GoodSarmatian]

What can I say, I don't have that subtle Slavic palette.

I do, and I recommend sljivovic.

I recommend a visit to Poland .

Speaking about Poland, wtf is wrong with youtube ? It seems to be full of propaganda from wacky governments. The past few weeks it was Turkish government sponsored videos about Kurdish terrorism, now it's all about how the Germans were the only bad guys and Poles fought side by side with the Jews.
#GermanDeathCamps

 

[warpus]

I was downtown today and wanted to get a haircut, but the generic franchise place I knew used to be where I was headed was closed down, according to google maps. So I went to this new nearby place that got good reviews. This place was marketed as a "barbershop", I'm not 100% sure what that means, but I went on their website, and they can cut your hair. Ok, awesome, that's where I went.

So I walked in there and it was more like the barbershops you see in the movies, where everybody is black. Not everybody was black, but a lot of people were black. It was also a more social setting than a usual haircut place, there were leather couches, a TV, a more "chill" vibe, etc. I've never experienced a barbershop before in my life I don't think, so I was into it. Plus the guys doing the actual work looked like they knew what they were doing, or were at least projecting an aura of confidence.

So the guy cutting my hair was a white guy. But then I looked up and he had his family photos up, and his wife is black. And then I look up and a white lady comes in. And some of her kids are white and some are black. And as I looked around the place, there were Obama things up, "I have a dream" things up, and other African-American cultural iconography or whatever you want to call it.. So like.. I have absolutely no black kids or wives or husbands or parents or anyone. I listen to reggae and some hip-hop and like jerk chicken but that's about it. It made me feel slightly out of place, but while all this was going on the guy cutting my hair went through like 5 different types of electric razors. He was doing much more intricate stuff with them than they ever do at my regular haircut place. So.. Maybe a bit out of place, but I usually feel a bit out of place at haircut places anyway, and this guy seemed like some sort of a razor master, so I sat through the experience and it turns out I actually got a really good haircut. I am very happy with it and I ended up leaving a big tip

So what's the deal with barbershops? I enjoyed the experience, and how casual yet pro it was, but is this an "ethnic thing" ? Or just a haircut place that targets a different demographic than a usual haircut place? Or.. a combination of the two, or something else? Any etiquette that's specific to barbershops I should know about?

 

[Synobun]

Barbershops, like salons, offer an experience in addition to haircuts.

You're still in London, right? Go to an Aveda salon in the future. It's more intimate than a barbershop. I've heard good things about Wabi Sabi.

 

[shadowplay]

So did you get dreadlocks?

 

[Takhisis]

What can I say, I don't have that subtle Slavic palette.

Really? I thought you wanted to paint everything red.

Speaking about Poland, wtf is wrong with youtube ? It seems to be full of propaganda from wacky governments. The past few weeks it was Turkish government sponsored videos about Kurdish terrorism, now it's all about how the Germans were the only bad guys and Poles fought side by side with the Jews.
#GermanDeathCamps

Sounds like locally targetted ads.

 

[Mouthwash]

Yeah, I saw the Polish one. People here are pretty angry over the "Poland isn't responsible for the Holocaust" law.

 

[Cutlass]

I was downtown today and wanted to get a haircut, but the generic franchise place I knew used to be where I was headed was closed down, according to google maps. So I went to this new nearby place that got good reviews. This place was marketed as a "barbershop", I'm not 100% sure what that means, but I went on their website, and they can cut your hair. Ok, awesome, that's where I went.

So I walked in there and it was more like the barbershops you see in the movies, where everybody is black. Not everybody was black, but a lot of people were black. It was also a more social setting than a usual haircut place, there were leather couches, a TV, a more "chill" vibe, etc. I've never experienced a barbershop before in my life I don't think, so I was into it. Plus the guys doing the actual work looked like they knew what they were doing, or were at least projecting an aura of confidence.

So the guy cutting my hair was a white guy. But then I looked up and he had his family photos up, and his wife is black. And then I look up and a white lady comes in. And some of her kids are white and some are black. And as I looked around the place, there were Obama things up, "I have a dream" things up, and other African-American cultural iconography or whatever you want to call it.. So like.. I have absolutely no black kids or wives or husbands or parents or anyone. I listen to reggae and some hip-hop and like jerk chicken but that's about it. It made me feel slightly out of place, but while all this was going on the guy cutting my hair went through like 5 different types of electric razors. He was doing much more intricate stuff with them than they ever do at my regular haircut place. So.. Maybe a bit out of place, but I usually feel a bit out of place at haircut places anyway, and this guy seemed like some sort of a razor master, so I sat through the experience and it turns out I actually got a really good haircut. I am very happy with it and I ended up leaving a big tip

So what's the deal with barbershops? I enjoyed the experience, and how casual yet pro it was, but is this an "ethnic thing" ? Or just a haircut place that targets a different demographic than a usual haircut place? Or.. a combination of the two, or something else? Any etiquette that's specific to barbershops I should know about?

All I can go on is my experience with barber shops. Currently I go to this little guy who is originally from Sicily. He looks to be about 100 years old. Mostly likely he's in his 70s. He has 3 barber chairs in a tiny storefront, but he works alone. Before that I went to a woman who had an even smaller place, but her landlord decided to remodel the building and she lost her lease, and I don't know where she ended up. Before that it was an older French guy who died, and his place closed. From time to time when having to shift places, or when I was living elsewhere and needed to find a new place, I hunted around.

I've been to these fancy hairdresser places, and they are a waste of money. For a typical men's haircut, they'll charge you 2 or 3 times as much, and it won't be any different of a cut.

But there aren't as many of those old school barbers out there. The salons make more money. You can find them, but you have to know what to look for.

As to the Black barbers, it's not that they are any different in principle, but rather that their experience is different. And by experience, I mean African descended people have notably different hair than northern European hair people. I've had my hair cut in a Black barbershop, and my experience was similar to yours. Talking to the man, the difference is that all the man's experience is with different hair than I have. I have very fine and straight hair. You probably do too. Africans have course and kinky hair. It's not that the man wasn't a good barber, he was fine, and I got a fine cut. It's that he didn't have the experience with the best way to approach my hair, because it's not what he works on. It's like someone who only deals with Linux being given a Windows problem to work out.

And this comes about because to a large extent white people are going to white barbers, and black people are going to black barbers. As to other factors, you may find that a good barbershop is a bit of a community meeting place. The guy I go to, there's often 2-3 men sitting around who aren't there to get their hair cut, but only to hang out and talk. That's really not that uncommon with a good barbershop. So you have a bit of a community meeting room going on at some good barbershops.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

As to other factors, you may find that a good barbershop is a bit of a community meeting place. The guy I go to, there's often 2-3 men sitting around who aren't there to get their hair cut, but only to hang out and talk. That's really not that uncommon with a good barbershop. So you have a bit of a community meeting room going on at some good barbershops.

There was a place like that in the strip mall where my grocery store is located. Some 40-odd years ago there was a time when he drove my grandmother, me, a neighbor lady, and one of her kids to the store, and said he would wait while we all did the shopping.

When we were done and out of the store, we went back to the car and discovered that he wasn't there. My grandmother was wondering where he'd gone, and then I remembered the barbershop on the corner. So I said, "I know where he is, I'll go get him."

Sure enough, he was in the barbershop with the other 50-something-and-a-couple-of-decades-older men. A couple were reading newspapers, and the others were shooting the breeze. I told my grandfather we were ready to go home, and later he asked me, "How did you know where I was?"

Well, it wasn't the first time by far that he'd gone there for a haircut, so it just made sense that if he was bored he'd go there either for a haircut or for some conversation while waiting for the rest of us. Back then grocery shopping was definitely considered "women's work" so it was pretty common in grocery stores here for the men to hang out together while the women did the shopping.

 

[GinandTonic]

Both my current barber in Hastings and the one I used to go to in London had a white barber and an ethnic one Thursday - Saturday or whatever. The one in Hastings has a pool table, definitely a place to hang out for a lot of it's customers.