Random Rants 91 - Semiprimal Rage

[Valka D'Ur]

Well, of course anti-vaxxers couldn't give a damn about anyone but themselves and their "freedom." But they decided to metaphorically spit on the Remembrance Day ceremonies to make it clear beyond any doubt.

Protest against vaccine mandates at Kelowna Remembrance Day gathering was 'a step too far,' RCMP say

 

[Kyriakos]

You click on one stupid chess video and now have to manually remove ten less famous chess players from your youtube feed. E1 problems.

 

[amadeus]

Stairs have not one, not three, not four, but two principal directions: up or down. As a frequent user of stairs now for decades, I have the requisite experience to make this shocking claim.

It may come as a surprise to some people, but this is the honest truth. Now, it might sound unfair at first that I’m criticizing some people for this. “What’s so wrong with the other directions?” they ask. Nothing at all; I too enjoy directions like left, right, and behind, but those all have their place apart from stairs.

In fact, if you look at most buildings, stairs occupy only a small fraction of the total space. All those other directions have plenty of room elsewhere, they don’t need to horn in on the one space where up and down get to be enjoyed.

Beside that, how would you feel if you were walking on a flat surface and I just decide to walk right on top of you?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Stairs have not one, not three, not four, but two principal directions: up or down. As a frequent user of stairs now for decades, I have the requisite experience to make this shocking claim.

It may come as a surprise to some people, but this is the honest truth. Now, it might sound unfair at first that I’m criticizing some people for this. “What’s so wrong with the other directions?” they ask. Nothing at all; I too enjoy directions like left, right, and behind, but those all have their place apart from stairs.

In fact, if you look at most buildings, stairs occupy only a small fraction of the total space. All those other directions have plenty of room elsewhere, they don’t need to horn in on the one space where up and down get to be enjoyed.

Beside that, how would you feel if you were walking on a flat surface and I just decide to walk right on top of you?

O-kay...

This is Tevye's take on stairs (something you can do if you're rich):

 

[amadeus]

O-kay...

Thing is, I’m more prone to lose my balance on stairs than on a flat floor. The way to zero out the risk, as it were, is to have predictable stair behavior. If you freeze frame at any moment and see my face and I’m at the top of a flight of stairs, you can bet I’m going down. If you see me in the same position but the back of my head, that means I have just completed climbing them. There is seldom if ever a need for a side-to-side motion, and I don’t want to crack my skull open because of someone’s desire to be a nuisance to civil society.

Edit: also almost clipped by a bicycle today, ironically just a stone’s throw away from the Osaka bicycle racing field. The pavement in the area is atrocious.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Thing is, I’m more prone to lose my balance on stairs than on a flat floor. The way to zero out the risk, as it were, is to have predictable stair behavior. If you freeze frame at any moment and see my face and I’m at the top of a flight of stairs, you can bet I’m going down. If you see me in the same position but the back of my head, that means I have just completed climbing them. There is seldom if ever a need for a side-to-side motion, and I don’t want to crack my skull open because of someone’s desire to be a nuisance to civil society.

Edit: also almost clipped by a bicycle today, ironically just a stone’s throw away from the Osaka bicycle racing field. The pavement in the area is atrocious.

Well, since I use a walker to get around outside the apartment due to balance issues, stairs are things I don't do anymore.

But unless the stairs where you are have minds of their own and don't remain still, I don't understand your complaint. How are they not predictable?

 

[amadeus]

But unless the stairs where you are have minds of their own and don't remain still, I don't understand your complaint. How are they not predictable?

I'm talking about people on them, stopping and then moving horizontally.

I drew a very simple outline to explain.

I'm BLUE. As you can see, I want to go up. But RED has taken it upon themselves to find a way to interfere with this and put neither them nor I any closer to our goal. The reasonable, decent, civilized choice for red would be to follow a path like mine. But no, we must now have varying levels of unnecessarily chaotic and unpredictable movements!

 

[Samson]

Is there any explanation of the why? I assume there is not somewhere to go on the left of the picture? Is it an area used for hanging out? Is there a view there? Or are they just intent on upsetting a gai-jin?

 

[amadeus]

Is there any explanation of the why?

90% of the time it’s someone looking at their cell phone.

 

[Farm Boy]

90% of the time it’s someone looking at their cell phone.

Spoiler :

 

[The_J]

My GF goes via text "had a good evening yesterday, but don't remember really anything. Besides someone saying 'I have good intentions'". Then doesn't reply to my texts anymore .
Okay, she has replied in the meantime, and no issues, but I really wished she could go out and drink a medium amount, and not either nothing or a lot :/.

 

[Samson]

drink a medium amount, and not either nothing or a lot

Where is the fun in that?

 

[Farm Boy]

Damn skippy. 1 drink, two drinks, maw.

 

[Kyriakos]

I'm BLUE.

There's your problem.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I'm talking about people on them, stopping and then moving horizontally.

I drew a very simple outline to explain.

View attachment 614219

I'm BLUE. As you can see, I want to go up. But RED has taken it upon themselves to find a way to interfere with this and put neither them nor I any closer to our goal. The reasonable, decent, civilized choice for red would be to follow a path like mine. But no, we must now have varying levels of unnecessarily chaotic and unpredictable movements!

So it's not actually the stairs you're mad at, it's the inconsiderate people on them.

Maybe... take a narrower flight of stairs so people can't do that?

Have you told them they're being rude? I've had instances of where people have gotten in my way and won't move when asked politely, and will barely move when asked firmly. Then they get mad when told to move because at that point I've run out of patience - especially when it's kids who won't move. Or gossiping women at the store who think that moving half an inch is good enough and I had to bluntly tell them, "You are in my way. Take your gossip to the restaurant or at least the main aisle." Or men who think they own the entire mall, aisle in the grocery store, or floorspace in the library when it's clear that they were the ones who ran into me.

 

[Kyriakos]

Hm, some publisher offered to pay 1,6 euro per 1000 characters. That's roughly 0.011 per word, which is beyond ridiculous (imagine that if you translate a 20.000 word small book, you'd get 220 euros).
No, I didn't seek him. Some friend suggested I could respond to an add. I was very surprised by the price.
In practice, it makes no sense to be paid below 600 euros for such a work (it's still a bad payment, but it's something). It'd still make no sense even if I didn't have another job where the time could be better allocated, who the hell needs 220 euros for a month's work.

 

[amadeus]

You just need to stretch that out, man.

Timothy James Clydesdale III pointedly questioned, “where are you going?”
Rupert Donaldson-Alvarez Junior, of English-Spanish descent, replied to the aforementioned character, Timothy James Clydesdale III, as follows: “I am going to the grocery store. Would you, Timothy James Clydesdale III, accompany I, Rupert Donaldson-Alvarez Junior, of English-Spanish descent, to said grocery store—the one to which I am going?”
Timothy James Clydesdale III considered the proposition of Rupert Donaldson-Alvarez Junior of English-Spanish descent and replied thusly: “yes.”

 

[Kyriakos]

You just need to stretch that out, man.

Timothy James Clydesdale III pointedly questioned, “where are you going?”
Rupert Donaldson-Alvarez Junior, of English-Spanish descent, replied to the aforementioned character, Timothy James Clydesdale III, as follows: “I am going to the grocery store. Would you, Timothy James Clydesdale III, accompany I, Rupert Donaldson-Alvarez Junior, of English-Spanish descent, to said grocery store—the one to which I am going?”
Timothy James Clydesdale III considered the proposition of Rupert Donaldson-Alvarez Junior of English-Spanish descent and replied thusly: “yes.”

No, he is paying for number of words of the original text.
Anyway, what a stupid offer... Really it is better to not work at all than work as a slave for 200 euros

 

[amadeus]

Oh, then nuts to that.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Hm, some publisher offered to pay 1,6 euro per 1000 characters. That's roughly 0.011 per word, which is beyond ridiculous (imagine that if you translate a 20.000 word small book, you'd get 220 euros).
No, I didn't seek him. Some friend suggested I could respond to an add. I was very surprised by the price.
In practice, it makes no sense to be paid below 600 euros for such a work (it's still a bad payment, but it's something). It'd still make no sense even if I didn't have another job where the time could be better allocated, who the hell needs 220 euros for a month's work.

You should write him back and tell him that not only that you will do the 20,000 word translation for 600 Euros, but you will throw in a "good translation" for free. Get yourself on his contact list of translators. You never know when he might get back to you. Establish yourself as a quality, reliable, deadline, oriented resource.