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Random Q & A Thread - PART 2

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10:31 / 20.05.05

lula, do you know if there's a deer farm near you? I don't know how common they are but there was one near us when I was a kid so I tend to imagine there's one in every good county. Anyway, they used to sell antlers which had dropped naturally. They weren't that cheap but they were available -that might be worth checking as well.

wembley can change in 28 days

10:37 / 20.05.05

Where can I get Antler from, for carving? I want 'environmentally sound' antler (dropped by the deer when the season is right rather than antlers taken from dead deer).

You could also try Brisa, a finnish online seller of all kinds of that stuff. Although it's very possible that their horns are the hunted kind. You could always ask them if they have cast antlers - jättösarvi being the word for that. They also have moose.

10:38 / 20.05.05

If you live near an area with deer then it's worth a look around autumn time, but baring in mind deer don't drop them in easy places most of the time.

Not sure how true this is but apparently some deer eat their antlers when they drop off for the minerials they contain. Could be an urban myth.

13:55 / 20.05.05

Salt lick: check!
Thermos of tea: check!
Folding chair: check!
10-ft cord: check!
Battery operated circular saw: check!

13:58 / 20.05.05

I would add a medical kit to that lot, deer are not passive when cornered. And those sought after antlers can be used to great effect by the deer.

Whisky Priestess

17:31 / 20.05.05

Can anyone put me up in Norwich or (specifically) at UEA on the night of Wednesday 8 June, in exchange for beer/dinner/my expquisite company?

If not, can anyone recommend a good cheap hotel/B&B/hostel in the area?

22:43 / 20.05.05

Ok, there’s something that keeps happening to me that I just can’t make sense of. You all probably won’t know what’s causing this either, but maybe someone does….I don’t know.

Anyway, so there’s a grocery store down the street from my house, and I walk there frequently to buy only a few things. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for a few years, and I’ve been going to that grocery store the whole time, but lately (as of a few months ago or so), I’ve had this feeling soon after I leave the store (only sometimes) like I’m suffocating. It feels really tight in my throat, and I feel like I can’t breathe, even though I’m obviously still breathing normally. One time this started happening while I was still in the store, at the register (about to leave), but usually it starts happening when I’m about 1/4 of the way home, and lasts for maybe a minute. The first time it happened it scared me pretty bad. I was about halfway home when it happened, and I stopped walking and looked around, thinking I’d flag down someone who was walking nearby or whatever to ask them to call an ambulance for me on their cell phone (everyone but me seems to have a cell phone) (I mean, what would you do if you suddenly started having trouble breathing?), but there was no one around, so I kept walking, and by the time I got to a phone, the feeling was gone. Since then I’ve gotten used to this feeling. It doesn’t always happen. I’d say it’s only every few trips to the grocery store that this’ll happen. But it’s never happened at any other time. I don’t have asthma or anything like that.

Yeah, I know this sounds sort of bizarre, and doesn’t really belong in a Q&A thread, but it’s also not deserving of it’s own thread. So…any thoughts?

22:55 / 20.05.05

Could it be an allergic reaction of some kind?

I work at a grocery store, and I never had allergies until I started working there. I think it's because the vents are all dusty. Anyway, that's what it sounds like to me.

22:56 / 20.05.05

Maybe you have an allergy to something in the store.

Whisky Priestess

00:16 / 21.05.05

I used to have the same reaction when staying over at my boyfriend's flat, except it lasted hours.

I reckon it was mould spores or something in the flat, only I never really found out - I just put up until he moved out.

00:31 / 21.05.05

Hey Whiskey, Maybe you were allergic to him?

P

Okay, two questions:

1. I just bought a lovely little Japanese tea set. I carried the damn thing home, and just as I was climbing the stairs to my place, I broke the teapot. Arrgh! So, is there anything I can use, any special glue I can use to repair it and still have it be functional enough to withstand boiling water? Or is my pot, gone to pot?

2. Does anyone know a good recipie for chicken hearts? I would just google one, but I want one that is already taste-tested for certain.

Thanks all.

00:33 / 21.05.05

Damn smiley. I meant: ;oP

06:09 / 21.05.05

Thanks for the responces. Yeah, I suppose it could be an allergy. It surprises me that I could have such a strong reaction when I spend so little time in the store. I would expect the people who work there to be the ones having trouble breathing if there's something in the air. I've also never been allergic to anything in my life. That said, it does seem like it must be something in the air in the store that's causing the reaction. I'm thinking of writing a letter to the store, but since I don't even know what's causing it (is it dust in the vents or something else in the store?) I don't even know if there's anything that they could do about it. I don't have this problem when I go to other grocery stores. I don't want to have to go to a different store, both because the next nearest store to my house is a 10 minute drive away (rather than a 2 minute walk), and because the store near my house is a small, locally owned business, and the store that's 10 minutes away is part of a huge chain.

13:09 / 21.05.05

It does sound like an allergy, We - something in the store affecting you. Some floor cleaners can get me that way - I used to have to practically run through the reception area of my gym because of something they used on the wooden floor once a week - on that day my throat would just seem to close as i took the 20 steps from the entrance to the hallway at the far side.

The other thing I wonder - does the shop have some sort of bad association for you? Could you possibly be having a mild panic attack? of course, the two could be combined - fear of stopping breathing would panic anyone!

13:09 / 21.05.05

is there a specific name for the colour the sky changes to during late evening? a kind of pale/weaker blue?

13:26 / 21.05.05

I don't know. I've googled all sorts and I can't find anything. I presume you don't mean twilight, but just before?

It's a very interesting question and I would like to know the answer, too.

16:51 / 21.05.05

Strix: if it's a clean break, then superglue should work fine.

We: Either it's an outright allergy or else they're, like, cutting onions and don't notice it any more.

I don't know what the name of the color might be, but I do know that photographers talk about a certain post-dawn/pre-twilight moment as being "the magic hour," when light seems to come from all directions at once and everything you photograph looks clear and luminous.

17:11 / 21.05.05

TRhank you Grant. I wasn't sure if it would hold or be toxic, or whatever. I shall try it.

Now, how about those yummy chicken hearts?

16:18 / 22.05.05

I've never made this dirty rice recipe, but it sounds good.

21:02 / 22.05.05

It surprises me that I could have such a strong reaction when I spend so little time in the store.

Allergic reactions can come on quickly and can happen with very little exposure. Some people who are severely allergic to peanuts could have an emergency-level reaction to someone else's peanut butter sandwich several feet away.

I would expect the people who work there to be the ones having trouble breathing if there's something in the air.

Not at all. Something like bacteria would affect everyone, but you may be allergic to something that no one else there is.

I've also never been allergic to anything in my life.

Doesn't matter, you can develop an allergy at any age, and in fact it's fairly common to develop allergies in your 20s.

I'm thinking of writing a letter to the store, but since I don't even know what's causing it (is it dust in the vents or something else in the store?)

Well, but it's likely something that's not toxic in any normal sense of the word so unfortunately they wouldn't really have a responsibility or incentive to clean it up. Common allergies that could be the culprit here include dust, mold, cockroaches (believe it not - v. common allergy), maybe they even have a cat or some other pet that you haven't seen but wanders the store after hours.

You may be getting the impression that I'm speaking from experience, and I am. I'd recommend going to an allergy specialist and asking for the forearm prick test for all common allergies - it costs about $100. Some forms of allergic reaction are not serious, but anaphylactic shock can be life-threatening, and since that rapid throat-closing feeling is one of the symptoms, I'd strongly recommend that you try to figure out exactly which allergen is affecting you so that you can avoid it in the future.

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:00 / 23.05.05

Here's a question: I've always been confused by those TV adverts for compilations which claim that certain tracks are "exclusive" to said compilation, when in fact they also are available as singles, on the artist's album, and quite possibly on other compilations as well. Now, someone (Haus?) once explained to me that following some court case or other it had been legally established that the word "exclusive" did not have to mean that what was being described was not available elsewhere (and this is clearly the case, since the papers describe any old gubbins as being exclusive all the time).

However, yesterday I saw a variant on this which featured a supposed real life DJ talking about the inclusion of Akon's 'Lonely' on the compilation for which he was shilling. "It's taken from his album...", says Pete Wrong, and then straight after that he says: "It's exclusive to Red Hot R&B Hits Vol IX - you can't get it anywhere else!"

Now, how on earth do the advertising/tradings watchdogs let them get away with that?

12:17 / 23.05.05

Might be that version is exclusive. A lot of the compelations do re-recordings or live tracks or alternative takes, and use these as the 'exclusive' tracks.

Whisky Priestess

20:35 / 24.05.05

Norwich, anyone?

Whisky Priestess

16:24 / 26.05.05

OK, nobody's biting.

So the agency that rents our flat to us (on behalf of pur landlord) is raising the rent. We have to sign a new contract and there is an "administrative fee" for this new contract of £65. Surely they should be charging this amount to the landlord? Is this common practice? I really don't want to pay more for the pleasure of, er, paying more.

Whisky Priestess

01:51 / 27.05.05

I kill threads!

Probably because I am up and it's 3.42am. I think I am up because this evening it's been too hot to drink coffee and water gets boring after a while (ditto milk) and the only thing I had left was 2 cans of Tesco Red Bull knockoff called Kick. So I am halfway through my second can and still up.

On the side it says it has 30mg of caffeine per 100ml of Kick, (cans are 250ml) - hence each can has 75mg caffeine.

So my question is:

Is this more or less than in one 350ml mug of coffee (strength of coffee = 3 level tablespoons of grounds in a 750ml cafetiere)?

Thanks!

03:00 / 27.05.05

"Is this more or less than in one 350ml mug of coffee (strength of coffee = 3 level tablespoons of grounds in a 750ml cafetiere)?"

It's less. I don't drink coffee, and I've never even heard the word cafetiere before, but unless 3 tablespoons is weak coffee, the red bull has less. I'm too lazy to do a bunch of converstions, but if you consiter that 350mL=11.838 oz, and that according to this link, the caffeine content in coffee is as follows:

Drip, regular: 106-164 mg./ 5 oz.
Percolated, regular: 93-134 mg./ 5 oz.
Instant, regular: 47-68 mg./ 5 oz.

your 11.838 oz cup of coffee will have at least 111 mg of caffeine.

Whisky Priestess

03:08 / 27.05.05

Thank you.

Now, do you live anywhere near Norwich?

03:30 / 27.05.05

"The other thing I wonder - does the shop have some sort of bad association for you? Could you possibly be having a mild panic attack? of course, the two could be combined - fear of stopping breathing would panic anyone!"

It's not a panic attack. I was quite panicked the first time it happened, but now I just get out of the store (if I'm not already out) when it happens, and wait calmly until it goes away. I don't respond emotionally to it. I've also never had any bad expiriences with the store, and I can't imagine why it would cause me to have a panic attack.

I suppose it probably is an allergy of some sort. I doubt that it's dust or mold, as I think my house probably has way more dust and mold than the store (yeah, I need to clean, ok), and I obviously don't have any trouble breathing at home. Also, I've never seen a cockroach in my life, nor heard of anyone in this area having a problem with them, and I suspect that they just don't live in this climate or something.

"Well, but it's likely something that's not toxic in any normal sense of the word so unfortunately they wouldn't really have a responsibility or incentive to clean it up."

I think that if I could determine what's causing it, I might be able to get the store to do something about it. Like, if it's due to the floor cleaner that they use, I imagine it wouldn't be very difficult for them to switch to a different brand of cleaner, and they would have a financial incentive to do so, because I spend money there, and they could lose me as a customer because of this. I know I'm only one person, but it is a pretty small store, and they treat their customers quite well. I wouldn't ask them to do something very costly or difficult, but if it's something small like switching to a different floor cleaner, I will ask. So, I'll try to arrange to get allergy testing so that I can determine what it is that's causing this reaction.

03:37 / 27.05.05

"Now, do you live anywhere near Norwich?"

If you mean the Norwich in the UK, no, I don't. I live in the US.

03:39 / 27.05.05

Oh yeah, and the administrative fee that they're charging you for the privledge of raising your rent sounds like utter bullshit, but I've never had my rent raised, so I don't actually know what standard practice is.

01:34 / 29.05.05

What does it mean to 'float the dollar' (or other currency)? Lately I've been reading a lot about the last 30 years or so of Australian politics, and evidently one of the big changes was that the ALP floated the dollar (deregulated the exchange rate?) in the early 80s. But can anyone explain in very small words what that means or why it would be a good idea?

14:56 / 29.05.05

Well, the phrase "float the dollar" has been in the news a lot lately in reference to the Chinese yuan. I REALLY don't have an exceptional grip on economic theory, but my rudimentary understanding is that right now the yuan's value is fixed to the American dollar. When the dollar goes up or down, so does the yuan in direction relation to it, but it (yuan) doesn't react directly to changes in the Chinese economy. Many people argue that the yuan should "float," ie that it should rise and fall according to the GNP of China and not be tied to the dollar anymore.

I hope that's right, or I now look like an (even bigger) idiot.

23:06 / 29.05.05

...and it would also rise and fall based on speculators buying and selling yuan on the open market (based on how they think the currency will do in the future, or if they think they can make some money on it.)

I happened to be in Turkey when they let the Lira 'float', so I got to see the scary results in action. The banks were closed for 2 days, with lineups of people trying to get money out from the ATMs. When they finally re-opened, the rate had fallen from 450,000Lira to $1 US Dollar, to 1,400,000Lira to the Dollar... Yikes.

12:32 / 02.06.05

(1) Someone has just sent me an attachment called winmail.dat. Why is it called dat? And how can I open it? (I have a Mac, but it has Microsoft Word on it.) I'm using webmail - would I have to open a non-webmail-type account and open the attachment via the mail programme on Mac, which I see is called, um, 'Mail'? (The attachment is an essay by an academic I don't know, and it's coming out in a book next year, so it's a real favour that she sent it to me in the first place & I don't want to bother her into sending it to me again.)

(2) While I'm here - I have a new shiny Mac, which brings me joy, but not as much joy as I think I'm entitled to because I don't have software on it to do the following things:

(a) peer-to-peer music sharing - I used to have kazaa on my PC until my PC broke under the strain - what should I have now?

(b) DVD ripping - in particular, is it called "capturing"? Not just to copy DVDs but, eg, to create my own edits of the Harry Potter movies by cutting the boring bits (ie all the bits without Alan Rickman) out. That sort of thing. What do I need to be able to do that? (I have Adobe Premier coming, I think, for editing clips once I have them, but how do I get them in the first place?)

(Obviously if I were to copy copyrighted material, this would only be for legal purposes like showing clips in lectures on film without having to skip through in a fiddly way. I am not using Barbelith for anything illegal.)

paranoidwriter waves hello

12:45 / 02.06.05

(a) peer-to-peer music sharing - I used to have kazaa on my PC until my PC broke under the strain - what should I have now?

You could try

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