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MadBob ,

We know for certain that Gboard accesses the internet at least so it's not out of the question. I've settled on Openboard, and my only problem with it is that the UK English keyboard suggests American spellings, but I've read that that's a problem with all open source keyboards because of the .dict file, so I'm currently settling on the latter side of the dilemma between sacrificing privacy for Gboard and putting up with being recommended American spellings.

MadBob ,

font I liked in a book on calligraphy

They're called hands, because you do them with your hand. A font is a given instance of a typeface, which is a design of a script. Now you can be pedantic too!

MadBob ,

I don't think this answer is really in the spirit of "no stupid questions".

MadBob ,

This is so stupid but I only sent that Wikipedia entry to my girlfriend yesterday.

MadBob ,

I bought a vintage racer in 2018 with the intention of fixing it up, repainting it, etc, as it had clearly rusty parts and exposed steel, and I ended up not bothering for one reason or another, but it was every bit as zippy and manoeuvrable when I had an accident on it last year that meant I had to chuck it in the tip. I shouldn't brag or whatever but I remember this little speed counter thing saying I was breaking the limit a few minutes before the crash.

MadBob ,

To be fair, you'd have to drop an awful lot of bubbles to not be let back in the pool.

What song should I play for my bathroom neighbors?

The work bathroom is currently a warzone, on their phone speakers people like to play music, play games at full blast, and one guy likes to chill to ambient rainforest. What song can I play to passive aggressively make it known that I don't want to listen to their tik tok feeds while I work out my demons?

MadBob ,

Just realising now, you don't see so much graffiti of the "woz ere" sort these days.

MadBob ,

An uncle of mine used to be in the TA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Reserve_(United_Kingdom)) and he said he'd learnt there how to just fall asleep as and when.

MadBob ,

There are stations on Anglesey where you have to stick your arm out to hail the train, and the only two routes they lie on are served by the kind of 1970s DMU like you mentioned on its way to Chester or a Pendelino on its way to London or something.

MadBob ,
MadBob ,

Bit like that Žižek interview where he says his perfect date involves putting a dildo into a plastic vagina and throwing them in the other room while the two people can sit and have a nice cup of tea together.

I have chronic sleeping problems therefore I love(d) taking naps but waking up afterwards is absolute hell. What should I do? **Edit: I have found a short-term solution**

I am currently struggling heavily with depression. Which impacts my quality of sleep. Sleep now has never been a talent of mine. So I generally make up for it by napping. I used to absolutely love it. Both the initial and the waking up (feeling well rested). But lately the waking up part is getting more and more difficult. It...

MadBob ,

Regarding antidepressants: I was on them for a number of years and I'd say they're a stopgap to keep you surviving until you can finally tackle the problem once and for all with something therapy. They make you feel very grey, assuming there's no side-effects, which can be anywhere between mildly amusing to headwrecking. But of course, grey is lighter than black, and on the other hand, I've known people who've been taking antidepressants for decades. I'm ridiculously self-disciplined so I often find it relatively easy to rationalise ruminations away but some aren't so lucky. So I agree with the others saying you should ask a doctor about it. I spoke to my GP about it to begin with.

MadBob ,

Yes, understood!

MadBob ,

Although I like the idea of a drug smuggler typing "as per my previous email..."

MadBob ,

This is the "can God create a stone so heavy" thing. It's known as a metaphysical impossibility.

What linguistic constructions do you hate that no one else seems to mind?

It bugs me when people say "the thing is is that" (if you listen for it, you'll start hearing it... or maybe that's something that people only do in my area.) ("What the thing is is that..." is fine. But "the thing is is that..." bugs me.)...

MadBob ,

Dutch has the same phenomenon, being so similar to English, but the standard way of writing it is by putting a comma after the noun phrase. So in your example, it'd change to "the cookie he had had, had had..." Typically practical solution that forfeits a charming oddity.

MadBob ,

I'm a freelance chef.

  • Fairly well paid (I can work parttime and still pay the bills).
  • I'm ridiculously self-disciplined and stress-resistant so I find it quite easy.
  • I get to see behind the curtain at a lot of restaurants.
  • I've built something of a local reputation and a circle of friends in the industry.
  • Being good at cooking, organising, and leading people is in itself very satisfying.
  • People find me more attractive because of it, haha.

I'm just sick of making money for other people and sort of sick of working evenings. Oh, and people are always asking me to cook for them. Otherwise, I'm fulfilled. It'll be time for me to look at setting up my own place soon enough.

MadBob ,

Jesus. You can't even see a solar eclipse everywhere when it does happen. Travel really does broaden the mind, I suppose.

MadBob ,

https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism

Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—

One step ahead of you.

Edit: You really think this is a gotcha, eh? Given that you've posted the same thing at least six times?

MadBob ,

It's like I've told a number of my bosses in the past: you have to treat the people making your money for you well, or they just fuck off. They never listen, and everyone always just fucks off. I'm a soothsayer!

MadBob ,

It'll be awkward when they discover a new syndrome where your head explodes and the name's already taken.

MadBob ,

Not catchy enough! Though you can shorten it to "crap syndrome".

MadBob ,

Speaking as a Briton, I've been almost brought up to hate American culture, I suppose out of some sense of rivalry or something, and I do my best to treat them fairly, but I still have vestiges of antiseptic attitudes. They remind me of friends I've had who'd brag about everything, so you end up resenting letting them have anything no matter how genuine an achievement it is. I still can't stand the accents if I'm tired or in a bad mood or whatever either. Just rubs me the wrong way.

It feels silly to "admit" as it were, but I remember once matching with someone on a dating app, so I went like, "what's your story", and he said "I'm a trans man and I'm American", and I felt bad unmatching in case he thought I was transphobic, but come on, haha.

MadBob ,

It's not weird when you consider how much American cultural artefacts do their best to elbow their way into your field of attention.

MadBob ,

I know Bob's the go-to name but I'd much prefer if you didn't use it for cunts.

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