Small Talk: "I'll Take Non-Show Chat For $400, Alex."

[bankerchick]

On 1/11/2022 at 10:55 PM, Bastet said:

I put almost all charges on my credit card, and then write one check each month for the total amount

Curious - do you actually write a cheque and mail it somewhere to pay your credit card bill?  Or is this just a generic statement for paying your bill when you actually pay it online on your banking app or have it automatically deducted from your account?

[Trey]

On 1/7/2022 at 10:56 PM, secnarf said:

I probably still have it somewhere, unspent and apparently worthless.

Don't the banks still give you real money for pennies?

 

On 1/11/2022 at 10:55 PM, Bastet said:

I put almost all charges on my credit card, and then write one check each month for the total amount

I use my credit card for almost everything too, since I get such a good amount of cash rewards.  Then I pay online, no fee.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, bankerchick said:

Curious - do you actually write a cheque and mail it somewhere to pay your credit card bill? 

Yes to writing a check, no to mailing - I pay it through the Citibank ATM.

[Prevailing Wind]

I do the same - charge everything, pay it off every month. I go to the card's website to pay it online.  I get rewards point for Best Western hotels, which has proved quite beneficial on my Road Trips.

[secnarf]

8 hours ago, Trey said:

Don't the banks still give you real money for pennies?

You have to have enough to have them in a roll apparently 🙄

[PBnJay]

I've never heard of CoinStar machine and, obviously, have never seen one. i had to google search to find out what everyone was talking about. 

[illdoc]

11 hours ago, PBnJay said:

I've never heard of CoinStar machine and, obviously, have never seen one. i had to google search to find out what everyone was talking about. 

Doesn't that take a percentage? As in, you put $1 in and only get 93 cents?

[chessiegal]

29 minutes ago, illdoc said:

Doesn't that take a percentage? As in, you put $1 in and only get 93 cents?

It depends on what you use it for. For a while, you could get the exact amount credit to the grocery store it was in. They dropped that. Last I used it you could get credit with Amazon for the full amount. It prints a slip of paper with a code to use. I don't remember the other full amount options, but they are there.

[Prevailing Wind]

The machine at my credit union is free. You get a slip with the amount on it that you give to the teller and they deposit that into your account.

[chessiegal]

Considering there is a shortage of coins, I'd think banks would do whatever they could to make accepting them a convenience.

[Browncoat]

My bank will take loose coins, but prefers it when I roll them.  I have a change jar that gets full once or twice a year.  Rolling the coins is a nice rainy day activity, and I usually get $50-60 out of it.  

[Bastet]

I have no idea if my bank would take loose coins; I just assume they want them rolled, but have never actually asked.  I keep a wrapper for each denomination in a dresser drawer, and any time I wind up with change I drop it in to the appropriate wrappers when I get home, and update the total on a piece of paper.  When I have a full roll of each, I take them to the bank.  That way, I never have to sort and count a bunch of coins at once; doing it as I go means it's never a project for me to put off.

[bankerchick]

The Dollarama here sells plastic sleeves for coins.  You don't even have to count them, just put them in until the sleeve is full.  I remember when rolling pennies, nickels and dimes seemed hardly worth the time, but loonies and toonies add up to real dollars pretty fast.  As someone who worked for a bank for decades, I can't imagine they would be real thrilled with your coming in with a jarful of unrolled coin.  Whether they would accept them or just hand you a bunch of paper wrappers would usually depend on which teller you got, how busy they were, and how nice you were when asking.

[PBnJay]

The Washington Post is looking to hire a quiz writer. The job just posted today.

https://washpost.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/washingtonpostcareers/jobs

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by PBnJay
I kneed two prufred bedder.

[Mindthinkr]

4 hours ago, PBnJay said:

The Washington Post is looking to hire a quiz writer. The job just posted today.

https://washpost.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/washingtonpostcareers/jobs

 

You are really good at this and should apply. 

[PBnJay]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

You are really good at this and should apply. 

You are so kind. Thank you for your vote of confidence! I did look up the job description and it would be fabulous to work for WaPo, it's my go-to news source, and I thought hard about it. But it would mean moving to DC, although that could be interesting, and no work from home after "things" get better. 

I do know several posters here who would be an excellent fit though. That would be so cool if "one of us" got the job.

[shapeshifter]

29 minutes ago, PBnJay said:

You are so kind. Thank you for your vote of confidence! I did look up the job description and it would be fabulous to work for WaPo, it's my go-to news source, and I thought hard about it. But it would mean moving to DC, although that could be interesting, and no work from home after "things" get better. 

I do know several posters here who would be an excellent fit though. That would be so cool if "one of us" got the job.

Go for it! 

[Conotocarious]

On 1/16/2022 at 3:47 PM, bankerchick said:

The Dollarama here sells plastic sleeves for coins.  You don't even have to count them, just put them in until the sleeve is full.  I remember when rolling pennies, nickels and dimes seemed hardly worth the time, but loonies and toonies add up to real dollars pretty fast.  As someone who worked for a bank for decades, I can't imagine they would be real thrilled with your coming in with a jarful of unrolled coin.  Whether they would accept them or just hand you a bunch of paper wrappers would usually depend on which teller you got, how busy they were, and how nice you were when asking.

I remember my husband and I used to keep our old loose change in a plastic colander. One day as we were packing up to move, we decided to wrap the change in the colander as it was heavy and silly to tote it from place to place. It was over 400 dollars of loose change.

[zoey1996]

In 2018, I spent a few days in Orlando with my family, and of course we visited Disney World several days. Had a blast! But I didn't do Tower of Terror. I sat at a nearby coffee shop while the fam did TofT.  But I knew enough about it to know it involved an elevator, and led to my knowing FJ.

I live near Busch Gardens Williamsburg and have an annual membership. I do very few rides, and no coasters anymore, but it's a beautiful park, the shows are great, and I nearly always have a very good time there.

[Welshman in Ca]

On 1/15/2022 at 1:27 PM, Bastet said:

I have no idea if my bank would take loose coins; I just assume they want them rolled, but have never actually asked.  I keep a wrapper for each denomination in a dresser drawer, and any time I wind up with change I drop it in to the appropriate wrappers when I get home, and update the total on a piece of paper.  When I have a full roll of each, I take them to the bank.  That way, I never have to sort and count a bunch of coins at once; doing it as I go means it's never a project for me to put off.

 

I just have one of those cheap coin counters & a bag of sleeves from Amazon. The last time a took rolls to the bank a couple of months ago there was over $200 and the bank teller was telling me that they are struggling for coins so you may get some help from them.

[Browncoat]

3 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

I live near Busch Gardens Williamsburg and have an annual membership. I do very few rides, and no coasters anymore, but it's a beautiful park, the shows are great, and I nearly always have a very good time there.

I think Busch Gardens Williamsburg is the prettiest amusement park I've ever been to.  I love all the trees and that little stretch between Ireland and France -- it keeps changing names, but it's where they (used to?) have eagles.  I can't figure out where the new roller coaster (Pantheon?) is, though.  Do you know, @zoey1996?

[zoey1996]

They still have eagles (all rescued) and wolves. They are in Eagle Ridge.  Pantheon is in Italy/Festa, not far from the Festa train station. Opens on a limited members basis March 4, and to others March 24. I won’t be riding it.

[Grundoon59]

I am somewhat embarrassed that I have never been to Busch Garden Williamsburg.  While I was in school, I never had a car and left the area before summer even started.  On subsequent trips, I have either been attending reunions or concentrating on CW.  @Browncoat & @zoey1996, you are making it sound so nice that I will put it on my to do list.  

[Browncoat]

23 minutes ago, Grundoon59 said:

I am somewhat embarrassed that I have never been to Busch Garden Williamsburg.  While I was in school, I never had a car and left the area before summer even started.  On subsequent trips, I have either been attending reunions or concentrating on CW.  @Browncoat & @zoey1996, you are making it sound so nice that I will put it on my to do list.  

We actually rode our bikes down there a couple of times Freshman year.  It was highly dangerous, and I honestly can't believe we did it and survived, but it was one of those stupid college things you do, I guess.  And I worked there one summer.

[SoMuchTV]

58 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

We actually rode our bikes down there a couple of times Freshman year.  It was highly dangerous, and I honestly can't believe we did it and survived, but it was one of those stupid college things you do, I guess.  And I worked there one summer.

I had to pull it up in google maps. 28 minutes biking, with a couple of strong cautions. I doubt US 60 has the best bike lanes. But I’ll bet there were times you were speeding past traffic. 

[Browncoat]

In the 80s, there were no bike lanes at all!  I think the only time we really sped past traffic was at the entrance to the park.  Bikes didn’t have to pay for parking, so we just zoomed on through.

[SoMuchTV]

24 minutes ago, zoey1996 said:

I've heard other well-educated and well-spoken people pronounce Mischievous the way Mayim did; not a big deal for me. What drives me crazy is pronouncing "often" as off-ten. Started in  grade school.

Even though it bugs me, off-ten is at least considered an acceptable alternate pronunciation by at least some sources (and it’s supported by the actual spelling).  Mischeeveeous is neither. 

But considering how many errors that I hear from “well-educated and well-spoken people” (mostly grammar - like “(guest) came to speak to my colleague and I in the studio…”), I have to wonder if I have some blind spots in pronunciation and grammar that I’m not aware of!

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, SoMuchTV said:

2 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

I've heard other well-educated and well-spoken people pronounce Mischievous the way Mayim did;

I'm pretty sure I twitched when Mayim said "Mis cheev ee ous." 
I am trying to not be overly critical of her, but some grammar or pronunciation gaffes turn me into my mother, heh, if all y'all know what I mean. 😉
And it did distract me.

Using "me" for "I" and "I" for "me" also distracts and annoys me.
My daughter with a Masters degree did it the other day, and I couldn't help responding: "Did you just say . . . ?!??"
She admitted it and looked a bit sheepish. 
But then I told her that I expect it to become deemed grammatically correct (at least for informal communication) within a generation because so many do it. 

One of my former "work daughters" (and still phone friend) who has a Masters in frickin' English says things like "Her and me are going to lunch; do you want us to bring you anything?"
—which also makes me twitch, but how could I respond in any way other than politely?

Interestingly, the same person thinks it's always wrong to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as "And" or "But," which I feel comfortable doing when it sounds right in context; it's a stylistic choice. 
Just like this sentence fragment.
My Advanced Composition instructor in college told me so, heh.
Which I did not say to my friend. 
Er, ah, at least I don't recall saying it.🧐 

 

[Clanstarling]

12 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm pretty sure I twitched when Mayim said "Mis cheev ee ous." 
I am trying to not be overly critical of her, but some grammar or pronunciation gaffes turn me into my mother, heh, if all y'all know what I mean. 😉
And it did distract me.

Using "me" for "I" and "I" for "me" also distracts and annoys me.
My daughter with a Masters degree did it the other day, and I couldn't help responding: "Did you just say . . . ?!??"
She admitted it and looked a bit sheepish. 
But then I told her that I expect it to become deemed grammatically correct (at least for informal communication) within a generation because so many do it. 

One of my former "work daughters" (and still phone friend) who has a Masters in frickin' English says things like "Her and me are going to lunch; do you want us to bring you anything?"
—which also makes me twitch, but how could I respond in any way other than politely?

Interestingly, the same person thinks it's always wrong to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as "And" or "But," which I feel comfortable doing when it sounds right in context; it's a stylistic choice. 
Just like this sentence fragment.
My Advanced Composition instructor in college told me so, heh.
Which I did not say to my friend. 
Er, ah, at least I don't recall saying it.🧐 

 

I twitch with most of those too. I try not to be too critical of those speaking casually, as casual language has different rules than formal. Doesn't keep me from twitching though - on the other hand, when it comes to people who are paid to know better, I am harshly judgmental.

When it comes to pronunciation, I keep in mind that regional variants are valid, as much as they might annoy me.

[Prevailing Wind]

Born in 1949, I'm definitely a Boomer. I'm not so sure about my brother... The Boom is supposed to reflect returning servicemen, right?  Mom & Dad instigated my brother before Dad was sent over to Europe. Joey was 18 months old before he even met our Dad. (He was born in early 44.)

[shapeshifter]

21 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Born in 1949, I'm definitely a Boomer. I'm not so sure about my brother... The Boom is supposed to reflect returning servicemen, right?  Mom & Dad instigated my brother before Dad was sent over to Europe. Joey was 18 months old before he even met our Dad. (He was born in early 44.)

I like this👇 Merriam-Webster dictionary definition because it leaves room for interpretation.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baby boomer

[ProudMary]

Here is a generational chart from a Pew Research Center analysis dated 9/3/2015:  The Whys and Hows of Generations Research.  As the chart ends with the Millennial cohort, I searched a bit further and in a 2021 article about Generation Z, Pew lists 1997 as the beginning birth year for the Gen Z cohort.

 

[ABay]

Here's what I dislike about generational labels--they label a huge, diverse group of people as homogeneous because they were born within a selected, arbitrarily chosen time frame.  Taking Boomers as an example, I have older cousins who volunteered for service in Vietnam, others who were ardent protestors, and one who went AWOL. And I don't believe my older sister's experiences as a straight, white, woman were very similar to those of a lesbian, a woman of color, or a male of any race. Generational labels are about as accurate as astrological signs, Myers Briggs, and stereotypes and equally reductive.

[Clanstarling]

15 hours ago, ABay said:

Here's what I dislike about generational labels--they label a huge, diverse group of people as homogeneous because they were born within a selected, arbitrarily chosen time frame.  Taking Boomers as an example, I have older cousins who volunteered for service in Vietnam, others who were ardent protestors, and one who went AWOL. And I don't believe my older sister's experiences as a straight, white, woman were very similar to those of a lesbian, a woman of color, or a male of any race. Generational labels are about as accurate as astrological signs, Myers Briggs, and stereotypes and equally reductive.

At most we have some common events and popular culture memories, and even those are scattered throughout the breadth of the time frame.

[shapeshifter]

39 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

At most we have some common events and popular culture memories, and even those are scattered throughout the breadth of the time frame.

Yes, and using the PEW definition for Boomers of having been born between 1946 and 1964, someone who was a baby in 1963 would remember the Kennedy assassination differently than someone who was at least 9 or 10 years old.

It looks like the World Trade Center event of 2001 doesn't so neatly demonstrate that problem of these divisions.

Here's an updated image from PEW:

The article it accompanies ends with:
" . . keep in mind that generations are a lens through which to understand societal change, rather than a label with which to oversimplify differences between groups" (pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/).

 

[secnarf]

I have always found this interesting - I was born in 1990, my sisters in 1993 and 1997. There has been a clear generational gap between the way us older two kids (Millennials) grew up compared to our youngest sister, who is technically early Gen Z. This is something we had identified even before Gen Z had a label and defined time period. I think a big part of the difference in our case is related to technology.

The time periods are broad enough that someone at the beginning vs end of one 'generation' will have different experiences, but I wonder if there are other commonalities that are harder to define. Which also makes me wonder how these discrete time periods are defined in the first place.

[Prevailing Wind]

Re: Bounty/Christian/Pitcairn...

In the early 70s, when I was a travel agent, a woman came in one day with a large scrapbook. She asked if we had any brochures or posters or anything relating to Pitcairn Island. She was a "collector" of all things Pitcairn and had the book to show for it. She showed us the book - she had all sorts of stuff in it, including postage stamps from Pitcairn.  We felt bad that we didn't have anything to contribute to the lady's hobby. This resulted in me having a vivid memory of Pitcairn Island. LOL.

[zoey1996]

Last night, I watched the movie, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" on DVD, and learned that the boy who played Oskar, Thomas Horn, appeared on Jeopardy in Kids Week, and won his game, in 2010. That's how he came to be noticed as a possible Oskar, and won the role. He had never acted before.  He was very good in the role.

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, zoey1996 said:

Last night, I watched the movie, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" on DVD, and learned that the boy who played Oskar, Thomas Horn, appeared on Jeopardy in Kids Week, and won his game, in 2010. That's how he came to be noticed as a possible Oskar, and won the role. He had never acted before.  He was very good in the role.

I did not know that. I thought he was good in the role too. Thanks for sharing.

[Prevailing Wind]

I need some good vibes sent our way. On Thursday AM, my black cat Bosco is going to have surgery for a biopsy. He's got two HUGE lumps in the fat pad - the part that hangs down in front of his hind legs. When he had his annual in July, there was no hint of this - they've just rapidly shown up and he's lost a pound in the 7½ months since his checkup.

They're hard, hot, and vascular in nature...when Dr. E. tried to get some tissue via Fine Needle Aspirate, all she got was blood. She's pretty worried about this, as am I. She said things like this are usually malignant, but operable.  Bosco's busy have the Zoooooomieez with Stella, so he's not bothered. But I am. He's only 10 fer pete's sake. He's not supposed to die of cancer now.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Prevailing Wind

[Trey]

Many good vibes being sent to you, Bosco, and Stella. 

[Mindthinkr]

@Prevailing Wind I am sending my best thoughts about Bosco and my kitties are purring in prayer for a good outcome. I’m sending you a hug. I hope everything goes well on Thursday. 

[Prevailing Wind]

Thank you.

[Clanstarling]

@Prevailing Wind, sending many good thoughts to you all.

[Ailianna]

Best wishes for Bosco, Stella, and their human!

[Prevailing Wind]

Thank you.  I am SO hoping I do not come home with an empty cat carrier.  He's such a smart boy. I just mopped the kitchen & he's staying away. Ol' Stella's in there, strolling around on the wet floor. I wonder about her sometimes.  God forbid she get her feet wet any other time...

[Prevailing Wind]

BOSCO'S FINE!!  We won't know just what the lumps were until the lab does their thing - in about two weeks. But Dr. E. got it all and he's all stapled up, with a drain, hoping to come home today.  YAYYYYYY.  Thanks for all your good wishes.

[Trey]

That is wonderful news! So happy for you all.

[Prevailing Wind]

He gets picked up tomorrow - his drain is still a bit too active today - so I've got all the cat beds going through the wash. (Stella's asleep on my bed; she don't need no stinkin' cat bed.)  He'll come home to clean beds and clean boxes and some primo 'nip.

ETA: He's home now and finding navigating with a cone on quite challenging. Poor baby wants to groom and all he can do it lick the inside of the cone. LOL

Edited March 5, 2022 by Prevailing Wind

[Prevailing Wind]

For Saber...