Whitechapel - ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) Sun, 19 May 2013 15:45:15 -0700 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.1.4 & Feed Publisher ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332761#Comment_332761 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332761#Comment_332761 Tue, 29 May 2012 04:59:28 -0700 Horrible Warning Si y’know the one, it’s on the tip of your tongue, what the fuck is that word, oh god oh god.
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Horror, horror, only horror, pure horror, unmitigated horror, constant and endless horror, for those who Fail To Follow Instructions. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332808#Comment_332808 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332808#Comment_332808 Tue, 29 May 2012 14:13:24 -0700 Osmosis
I'm moving out of a flat, into another flat. In a moment of despair at off-white monotony, I stuck up posters and maps using blutac. Now I am moving out, I'm looking to get rid of those greasy dark stains in suspicious four-cornered arrangements and hopefully get back as much of my deposit from Generic Scumbag Landlord as possible. Any tips, Whitechapel? The internet so far has told me about WD40, citrus based detergent, and something called sugar soap. Anyone have a recommendation? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332830#Comment_332830 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332830#Comment_332830 Tue, 29 May 2012 16:02:47 -0700 Greasemonkey
Definitely the sugar soap. It's like a spray detergent; painters use it to scrub down walls before rolling on the base coat, and it'll get just about any damn thing off your walls. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332881#Comment_332881 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332881#Comment_332881 Wed, 30 May 2012 05:51:53 -0700 curb
Yeah, sugar soap should do it.

Best of luck with the whole moving process - I'm going through it at the moment so I know how irksome it can be. If you're renting through an agency, ask them if they can send you a list of things that need to be done in order that you get a full return on your deposit. They might even be willing to send someone round at tell you what needs to be done. Both myself and friends of mine have been stung by agencies deducting money for cleaning before This time round we're hiring a cleaning company up front, with a view to slapping the agency with the receipts if they try and pull a fast one. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332885#Comment_332885 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332885#Comment_332885 Wed, 30 May 2012 08:21:54 -0700 Flabyo
I've kinda resigned myself to the fact I'll never get a full deposit back off anyone without arguing about it for far longer than I'd be willing to.

Someone once took £100 off my deposit cause I didn't *iron* the sheets. The sheets that I'd never even used cause I had my own. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332902#Comment_332902 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332902#Comment_332902 Wed, 30 May 2012 12:48:20 -0700 Greasemonkey
There should be a tenants' advocacy service where you live. Check online, they usually have a FAQ section about your rights as a tenant and how to avoid getting robbed by the landlord. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332904#Comment_332904 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332904#Comment_332904 Wed, 30 May 2012 13:19:05 -0700 JP Carpenter
Just be careful with the sugar soap that it doesn't alter the colour of the paint; if they've used cheap paint (as is the wont of Generic Bastard Landlords) it'll be easily fuckupable.

And I'd hire a professional company as well - I tried to do it myself once, thought I'd done a good job, and the bastards stung me anyway. I was utterly mortified that the report said 'carpet round toilet smells of urine', so much so that I had to get obscenely drunk to remove the feeling of humiliation.

The deposit ought to be held independently now anyway, in case of disputes? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332917#Comment_332917 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332917#Comment_332917 Wed, 30 May 2012 16:50:59 -0700 Purple Wyrm carpet round toilet smells of urine',

I think that's the problem right there. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332929#Comment_332929 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332929#Comment_332929 Wed, 30 May 2012 21:38:44 -0700 Warped Savant
Moral of the story: Even if you don't think you stand a chance at winning the argument, the other person might forget to show up. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332953#Comment_332953 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332953#Comment_332953 Thu, 31 May 2012 02:29:37 -0700 Kay Orchison
Had the same experience as W.S. taking the unspeakable sow who owned the house we rented in West Ryde to the tribunal. The place had literally cracked in half and started to fall down while we were sleeping one night. One of the bits of evidence we tendered was a fist-sized chunk of concrete that had fallen out of the underside of the verandah. We prepared well and she didn't show. Court staff came out with a big grin and said "Are you the people who brought the rock?"

Yeah. We brought the rock alright. Damn straight. \m/ ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332958#Comment_332958 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332958#Comment_332958 Thu, 31 May 2012 05:02:28 -0700 Osmosis
Thanks, everyone, for the helpful advice. Particularly @curb with regard to that 'list of things' idea; if we've agreed in advance all the things I need to do and I do them, then that's a much better place to be than three weeks later getting a letter telling me I failed to disinfect the underside of the windowsills or whatever.

With regard to the blutac stains, I'll get some sugar soap and try it on a part of the wall I know will be covered up by the bed/wardrobe first, and if it doesn't melt through xenomorph-style I'll give it a go on the visible bits. Thanks to @Greasemonkey and @JP Carpenter on that score. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332982#Comment_332982 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=332982#Comment_332982 Thu, 31 May 2012 11:54:44 -0700 Greasemonkey
My wife and I had to do the tribunal thing as well, after we moved out of our place in Sydney. Our lease had been taken over by a slum agency which refused to do any repairs during our tenancy, then claimed the full amount of our bond for all the 'damage' (actually deterioration caused by their neglect). My wife set up a telephone hearing with the tenancy tribunal, and the agent didn't show so we got our bond back.

A few things we learned from the experience:

1) Check the reputation of the agent or landlord before you rent.

2) Photograph everything when you move into a rented place, then again when you move out.

3) Familiarise yourself with your rights as a tenant. Most places have a tenants' advocacy organisation online, where you can find this stuff out.

4) Always, always, ALWAYS read everything they give you to sign. Our slimy agent gave us a half-completed claim form for the bond, with no numbers filled in for the amount we were claiming back. This is illegal, and there's even a warning on the bottom of the form, telling tenants not to sign the form if it's not competely filled out.

4a) The same applies when you sign your contract before moving into a new place. Read every clause, and don't sign if there's anything you don't like. (We turned down a kick-arse condo downtown because the contract had a clause allowing the landlord to do whatever she wanted with our personal information, and she wouldn't take it out.) If it's your first time signing a rental agreement, consider taking a savvy friend or relative along. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333027#Comment_333027 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333027#Comment_333027 Thu, 31 May 2012 23:52:34 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell
A fellow I know has lost most of his past throughout the years. He's got no photographs remaining of his mother, who died 40 years ago. His father was american military in Tehran when he married an Iranian woman, and they moved shortly after to Germany (and then possibly the United States?). Is there any way I could somehow access passport photographs or immigration photographs or something? Is there any way, if I knew her married name and her husband's name, to track down some photographic evidence of her existence for my friend? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333070#Comment_333070 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333070#Comment_333070 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:31:33 -0700 allana
Pick an archive, any archive; walk up to counter; engage archivist; repeat. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333077#Comment_333077 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333077#Comment_333077 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:17:39 -0700 government spy
We bought it a couple weeks ago, and it was about 4ft tall. It looked all happy, and then she planted it and it's gone all droopy. She has tried watering it a bunch, and occaisonally it perks up, but then it goes all droopy again it a couple of hours. What is she doing wrong? I have no idea.

#nogreenthumb ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333080#Comment_333080 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333080#Comment_333080 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:27:13 -0700 Argos
Are you sure the area where she transplanted it has enough nutrients? Try getting a bag of compost and and putting a layer of it over the soil, and see if that helps. If you use vermicompost, use less, that stuff is really rich in nutrients and can burn plants if too much is used. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333081#Comment_333081 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333081#Comment_333081 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:39:12 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333083#Comment_333083 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333083#Comment_333083 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:21:25 -0700 Kay Orchison
Libraries. Public ones. Librarians have superpowers with the finding. They are seriously amazing. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333091#Comment_333091 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333091#Comment_333091 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:28:07 -0700 Jason A. Quest
Just a guess, but my housemate used to overwater the pot... er potted plants and they'd get droopy, so he'd (over)water them some more, and they'd get worse. So don't assume that more water would be better. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333093#Comment_333093 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333093#Comment_333093 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:44:13 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell
So, do libraries count as archives? :) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333096#Comment_333096 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333096#Comment_333096 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:10:24 -0700 flecky
When I was a squatting bastard, I used to go to libraries (usually the big ones), and, I think, Public-Access Departments in town-halls, to go through the history of empty buildings. I don't know why I mention this...

Libraries, Archivist HQ! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333097#Comment_333097 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333097#Comment_333097 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:26:52 -0700 allana
http://www.archives.gov/locations/

Archives are not libraries. Libraries are for books. Archives are for all paper documents -- photos, letters, receipts, lists, scraps, newspapers -- and lots of non-paper documents -- Jackie Onassis's blood-stained pink dress is in an archive, I learned last week. Actually I learned it from this column, which is pretty cute and altogether accurate. The second iteration contains a rough guide to the process: Use Google, find it useless, talk to people and collect names and dates, then go find an archivist and let them take it from there.

Libraries won't really help you except with periodicals, which you probably won't be able to search very efficiently.

Online resources to start with would genealogy websites or online versions of old newspapers and journals from the towns where your friend's family is from. You might want to send off emails to Germany, but that's sort of a long shot if you haven't got enough detail. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333098#Comment_333098 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333098#Comment_333098 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:28:48 -0700 allana
I'm actually about to undertake a similar project, starring my best friend's grandparents and their eight-year love story. I have all the letters he wrote to her, scanned and about to be transcribed, but I'm going to hunt for supplementary stuff -- pictures, records of his service in WWI, articles he wrote (as a sports journalist and then as a war correspondent), and anything I can dig up about her, who was a typist and then a teacher in Toronto. Stay tuned! And I'll let you know if I learn/think of any new research tips and tricks. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333099#Comment_333099 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333099#Comment_333099 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:29:42 -0700 MrMonk
@Rachael, you may be setting yourself up for a long-term research project. Your friend is going to have to get involved to give you the leads that you need (unless you intend to surprise him). Is he in contact with any of his relatives from his father's generation?

There are archives all over the place, but to use them efficiently, you have to have information: who, what, where, when, kinships, friendships, affiliations . . .

Some libraries have archives. Some newspapers may let you access their archives. Some immigration records are open (if the wife had to enter America there is probably a trail of paperwork somewhere). Find out if she has any living relatives.

See if you can find out his father's military history. Many military units have a historian who keeps archives of photographs and other records of their history, and a number of them publish online. If he was a member of some fraternal organizations, they may also have archives of members photos. His wife may be in some photos with him. Even if not, you might be able to find some other leads from these sources.

There are also online genealogy sites, though some require fees. In any case, the more information that you can start with the better off you will be.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the internet probably offers all sorts of free advice on how to conduct research. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333109#Comment_333109 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333109#Comment_333109 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:22:46 -0700 Jason A. Quest ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333113#Comment_333113 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333113#Comment_333113 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:39:59 -0700 allana Seriously, people, aren't we supposed to be the online enclave of erudition? How do you not know about archives? I am having a bit of culture shock, I apologize. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333121#Comment_333121 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333121#Comment_333121 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 22:11:14 -0700 DavidLejeune
When transplanting did she put the dirt above where it was when the tree was in the pot? That can choke the tree out. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333126#Comment_333126 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333126#Comment_333126 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 01:50:43 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell
@allana - I know nothing of archives, nor what a library could do to benefit me other than rent me a book, or perhaps a movie. I am of the "duh" population. I've never had any cause to use one, nor visit one. Maybe it's a university thing? I only took one year of crap college, so the collegiate/research end of things would never have been in my experience. When you tell me to go to an archive, I've no idea what that means, or what it would entail. :\

@Mr Monk - Yes, it was my attempt at a surprise, and I've been trying to get as much information as I can from him without seeming pushy. I know the woman's married name, the year she died, her husband's name, and a rough idea of when they were living in what countries. I was hoping for some kind of military ID database or something, y'know? Like how you can look up someone's old mug shot. I was hoping that there were old passport photos somewhere online or something. I suppose that'd be too easy. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333138#Comment_333138 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333138#Comment_333138 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 03:56:54 -0700 flecky
@Rachael: Don't worry, if you are a "duh" citizen, then I am King-Duh! If someone asked me to go to an archive, I would just have to say, "Sorry, I can't help you."

I thought the whole idea of this thread was to be able to ask for advice, suggestions etc. about things we don't know about, without feeling like we have to explain our inexperience. If I'm wrong, then please excuse me. I'm not trying to start a debate or anything, as I know even less about how to do that.

Good luck with your project, Rachael. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333149#Comment_333149 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333149#Comment_333149 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 06:08:40 -0700 allana
Maybe it's an American thing? You guys (whole country, not Whitechapel representatives) seem like you wouldn't know a useful publicly-funded service if it came up and hit you in the face. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333150#Comment_333150 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333150#Comment_333150 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 06:11:20 -0700 allana Also the military-specific archives are your best bet, since they're generally quite comprehensive. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333161#Comment_333161 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333161#Comment_333161 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 07:51:28 -0700 Finagle
I had an undergraduate major in history, and I vaguely knew such things existed, but never had call to make use of one.

Since you're asking for an American opinion, I'll give one. America's a big place, and composed of 50 states that vary wildly in terms of their attitudes towards such things. In the places like Massachusetts where such things are well-regarded, the is a glut of such stuff. There are dozens in Boston alone, some right down the street from me. Nobody presented me with a flyer about then when moving into the neighborhood, and I've never had a specific reason to search them out.

Things like local Historical Societies here are hit and miss. They are largely privately funded, or funded at the State level, not the federal level. I really don't think that the U.S. situation is comparable to smaller countries with a stronger central government that take an active interest in promoting such things. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333164#Comment_333164 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333164#Comment_333164 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 08:37:00 -0700 flecky
@allana: Yeah, the links you posted are excellent, and I've learnt something new today. And what you said, about asking for the right kind of help by admitting what you don't know, is true. Sometimes, I don't see the obvious things.

I guess I was reading too much between the lines of Rachael's post, and got all defensive by projecting my own feelings of inadequacy about why I know so little about what goes on in the World. I can only speak for myself, but I've met some people who I perceive to take a perverse pleasure in making me feel stupid because I, say, know nothing about computers etc. Due to my lifestyle, I've learnt how to survive in situations these people would crumble in, and I know a lot of things that they don't, but I try not to indulge in "Darkside Snobbery". I've been in a sort-of coma for years, and I'm in a learning process constantly.

I hope this makes some sense, but I still shouldn't leak my attitude on this thread. It's not the right place, and I definitely don't need them fucking maggots! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333165#Comment_333165 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333165#Comment_333165 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 09:41:45 -0700 oldhat
Rachael, I can only speak from my own experience here in Toronto, but to perhaps explain a bit of Allana's befuddlement is that a lot of us (and by "us" I mean a lot of people I know throughout Ontario and parts of Canada) learned at a pretty young age about the practicality of researching for stuff in a library and taking things a step further by going to an archive. It wasn't a university thing, but more of a middle school-onward thing for us. I know a lot of friends who took field trips in to Toronto just to go to Toronto Reference Library where they learned how to find stuff. Just using these amazing free publicly funded resources is just sort of second nature and I kind of get that schools both within Canada and especially outside of Canada, might not instill that on youngsters.

But yeah, America has some great places. NYC especially (Department of Records, The National Archives), though I think I nearly died of happiness when I was in Washington and entered the Library of Congress photography archives.

So yeah, I dunno. Culture shock? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333169#Comment_333169 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333169#Comment_333169 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:09:53 -0700 dorkmuffin
I know it exists, but because I'm one of the AGE OF INTERNET researchers, archives were never really stressed as a convenient or useful resources since all the internet has to offer was at my fingertips. And this is coming from someone who has done a LOT of research and gone to some really swanky educational institutions. I've only looked through archives very rarely.

Most of us know about things like the LoC, but people think of them less in terms like "archives" and more like "big place where I can find original source material."

[shrug]

Culture difference I guess.

I think it also makes a huge difference based on what disciplines you work in. For certain history and social science topics (and urban planning I think), archives DO make sense, but not all across the board. We often get taught research methods appropriate to the project we're working on. SO, if you're someone who isn't relatively advanced within a field like history, you may never have had a reason to look through archives. As a result, archives are largely used by scholastic nerds within certain disciplines.

Anyway. 2 cents. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333171#Comment_333171 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333171#Comment_333171 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:25:24 -0700 flecky
@oldhat and dorkmuffin: That helped clear my befuddled brain. Culture shock! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333172#Comment_333172 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333172#Comment_333172 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:30:07 -0700 oldhat Yeah, I know that when I first learned about researching things, there was still a bit of trouble bringing computers with internet in to the school and by the time I entered high school the internet was mainly full of animated gifs and X-files episode summaries.

...

...



But anyways, we're good now, yes? I hope Rachael has an answer and that the link Allana provided is useful. Good luck on the search! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333174#Comment_333174 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333174#Comment_333174 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 11:53:47 -0700 Argos
Going along with what @Dorkmuffin said, in my high school & college years, I wasn't taught to use an archive, I was taught how to search for the info I needed online (how to find legitimate stuff that you can actually cite as a source). As for elementary & middle school, I learned to use the library, but nothing beyond that. Furthermore, in college, my hardcore research was only ever for scientific papers, all of which are online. So again echoing what Dorkmuffin said, unless you're researching history or urban planning, you have no reason to use them. I sure never did. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333192#Comment_333192 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333192#Comment_333192 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:10:07 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell
#findingphotos -

So, I need an archive. So what kind of archives should I be seeking out? Specifically, does anyone know if there even IS a resource that would allow me to view old passport or state ID photographs from overseas US military? Or is that considered restricted information? Honestly, aside from finding photographs via military records, I really can't imagine I have enough information to find anything from other sources. I suppose I could hope to have another in depth-IM conversation with him about his family history, which is really ideal for the subtle information mining! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333197#Comment_333197 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333197#Comment_333197 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:34:48 -0700 oldhat ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333199#Comment_333199 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333199#Comment_333199 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 18:02:12 -0700 Jason A. Quest but your brusque reaction to my inquiry really did seem like a put down in response.You're not the only one who felt that way. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333202#Comment_333202 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333202#Comment_333202 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 18:38:52 -0700 allana Seriously, guys, short, concise, and helpful answers on the Internet? We should all be so lucky to suffer so little. Would you rather I refrained from commenting on topics in which I am knowledgeable? I can only shout "Grow up" at the screen so many times before I actually have to type it in. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333220#Comment_333220 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333220#Comment_333220 Sun, 03 Jun 2012 02:40:13 -0700 Ariana Reel it in, folks. Sometimes when you ask a question, you're going to get answer or two that you already know -- people tend to start troubleshooting at the most basic level, and narrow things down from there. If folks start taking offense to the equivalent of tech support asking if you turned it off and back on again, we're going to have problems -- because sometimes people really didn't know to try turning it off and back on again.

To this point: sometimes sometimes folks will focus on one part of an answer more than another, and resources will get brought back up, or clarified. Pissing contests about who knows more about how *anything* works are super lame. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333237#Comment_333237 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333237#Comment_333237 Sun, 03 Jun 2012 06:55:38 -0700 Jason A. Quest ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333240#Comment_333240 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333240#Comment_333240 Sun, 03 Jun 2012 08:10:50 -0700 flecky
@oldhat: It took me a while, but I think I've remembered their secret-origin. Was it Ally McBeal? I'm in a state of dynamic-meditative-trance from watching them go tribal :)

@Ariana: We thank you for your wisdom. I, for one, am humbled. My niche in the Cosmos is a slightly more comfortable place. Ta for that. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333261#Comment_333261 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333261#Comment_333261 Sun, 03 Jun 2012 14:21:21 -0700 Internaut
Is was in fact Ally McBeal and soon there after one of the first viral video i can remember starring said dancing baby with a song by The Prodigy playing in the background. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333279#Comment_333279 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333279#Comment_333279 Sun, 03 Jun 2012 16:31:12 -0700 Purple Wyrm
My understanding is that the dancing baby was a minor internet meme (one of the very first) and then Ally McBeal propelled it into the stratosphere.

Ah, here we go Dancing Baby

(My god, hundreds of words about the godamn dancing baby. Does our culture actually deserve to survive?) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333328#Comment_333328 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333328#Comment_333328 Mon, 04 Jun 2012 05:52:08 -0700 Kay Orchison
My local public library in Marrickville, NSW, Australia includes an extensive archive of historical photographs which have been very useful to me. I would not have known it existed, however, if I had not asked the regular public librarian what resources were available in the municipality, because the photographs are kept in a different building to the books and their existence is not signposted or publicised at all.

I have also had wonderful assistance from public librarians in America and in England in finding photographs in those countries. Librarians are often very intelligent people whose core skill is research and whose daily business gives them an encyclopaedic knowledge of what collections and archives exist and what their specialties are. They also often correspond with other librarians in other countries so if your project crosses national borders they can be of assistance in helping you make the overseas contacts you will need.

I know this because I have worked as an artist, an academic and a commercial photographer, all of which have required finding obscure historical images at one time or another. Many of my good friends who I consider to be very intelligent, such as the neuroscientist whose home renovation project sent me to Marrickville Library for instance, were completely unaware that public librarians can be very useful in this context.

I heartily recommend asking your local public librarian where to begin, Rachæl. It may not seem the obvious place to start, but many archives are underadvertised and the simple trick of asking someone whose daily work frequently presents them with lists of such resources and their contents has worked remarkably well for me on many occasions. HTH. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333425#Comment_333425 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333425#Comment_333425 Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:17:51 -0700 Alan Tyson
Okay, so it wasn't the KKK. As far as I know. BUT.

I'm looking for advice on repairing a stuck modem. It's not broken, so far as I know, but something is definitely wrong with it. I'm leeching internet off an unsecured network, but I'd really like to have my own back, not least because the connection isn't NEARLY as good as it is with this one.

The model is a Motorola Surfboard, the one that looks like this:



A pretty common model, and it was what I'd used before in college. Never had any guff with it. This one, though, seems to be funny in the head. For the last few days, it's been giving me a solid light on Power and Receive, as well as PC activity (it's hooked up to a wireless router), but blinking lights on Send, and nothing for Online (obviously).

My cable company says they're not showing any problems on their end, though I trust them about as far as I can kick the entire company. Still, on the off chance they're telling me the truth, are there any good troubleshoots for this sort of thing that aren't included in the manual?

(Alternate hashtag: #Seriously?IAlreadyDoTechSupportForMyDadAndNowThis?) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333431#Comment_333431 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333431#Comment_333431 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:56:10 -0700 Kay Orchison
Find the little recessed reset button on the back and hold it down with a pen for about 10 seconds while the power lead is unplugged. Plug it in and give it a good five minutes to wake up. Usually worked for me when I had one. It'd shit itself like that about once a year. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333467#Comment_333467 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333467#Comment_333467 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:37:43 -0700 Alan Tyson
I checked the back, and I couldn't see one, just plugs for the cable, ethernet, USB and power. Checked the bottom, too, no dice there, either. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333468#Comment_333468 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333468#Comment_333468 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:41:52 -0700 oldhat @Alan Usually The reset button is located in the back. It is a pin hole that you can use a paper clip. If you press it once, it will restart the modem.

What's the specific model of the Surfboard? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333469#Comment_333469 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333469#Comment_333469 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:53:19 -0700 Alan Tyson
It's an SB5101U, barely four months old. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333470#Comment_333470 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333470#Comment_333470 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:02:13 -0700 oldhat
"Usually to reset the modem, you just power it off for 10 seconds, then power it back on. If it still doesn't work, try giving your Mac a static IP address. Plug the ethernet cable into a computer that can get to the internet (if you have one) then open the command prompt on the PC or Mac (not sure if Mac has one or not) then type ipconfig /all. Write down the IPv4 address, default gateway, subnet mask, and DNS severs. Then go to your Mac and plug it in and statically enter the IP address. "

If you can understand any of that, power to you. Otherwise I'd call a tech in. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333538#Comment_333538 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333538#Comment_333538 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:46:53 -0700 MrMonk
I have no pets, but I like cats and have raised them in the past. I was recently offered adult cats from two different people (one cat each), both of whom enthusiastically tell me that it is better to have two cats so that they don't get lonely when the owner's away. I agree that it is preferable for a cat to have a feline playmate in the house. But both of these cats have been singletons for most of their lives. Putting aside the current owners' apparent double standard, is it a good idea to introduce two adult cats from different homes into a new home? What could one do to make the transition to the new home easier, if one can't stay home with the cats? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333542#Comment_333542 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333542#Comment_333542 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:06:42 -0700 Argos
I've always let thrown them in together and just waited until they settled down, but apparently there are better ways to do it. From what I've told (but I've never actually done it, I've always just tossed them into the deep end), you're supposed to keep them in separate rooms while they acclimate to their new home, while also getting used to the other cat's scent. And trade which rooms they're in so that they really get used to the scents. If you have them in rooms next to each other, the other good thing is that they can paw at each other without actually getting into fights. The next step is to introduce them face to face, but with a grate in the way so that they can't hurt each other (they usually say to put the new cat into a cat carrier and the regular cat outside, but since in this case they'll both be new cats...uh, choose?). Cats get really finicky about being in new places and they also get really finicky about having other cats in their territory, so it could be interesting.

In my experience, it's nice for kittens to have another feline playmate while adult cats prefer to have their own territory. Anytime I've had multiple cats, they've gotten along but always seemed annoyed at having to share their space, and sometimes one cat will start trying to dominate the other one to establish it's territory. They do just fine being solitary once they're adults. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333543#Comment_333543 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333543#Comment_333543 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:13:17 -0700 Frowardd
Build a steel cage, ten feet to a side. Throw in a bag of cat food and a gently set down a bucket of water. Add the two cats. Let sit for two days. If the cats are still alive when you reopen the cage, they'll probably live together with you. Unless they decide to gang up on you and chew your face while you sleep.

ALTERNATE SOLUTION: Perhaps the current cat owners will let you have a (month long or so) trial period? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333546#Comment_333546 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333546#Comment_333546 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:38:58 -0700 Jason A. Quest
Get a dog. Nothing brings two cats together better than a common enemy.

Disclaimer: I have never lived with a cat for more than one night at someone's house. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333549#Comment_333549 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333549#Comment_333549 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:49:10 -0700 Frowardd
DISCLAIMER: I am not a cat. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333553#Comment_333553 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333553#Comment_333553 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:21:30 -0700 Argos
Halp! So, I got to see part of the transit of Venus, and I saw it from southern california. My question is why, if venus was cutting across the top hemisphere of the sun, did it look like to us from here as if it cut down vertically along the right side? The only thing I can think of is the axial tilt, which in my head correctly accounts for the direction in which it was rotated, but not the degree. Or are we really tilted that much? Or am I completely off track here? Here's a simulation I found on youtube of what we saw from this area:

edited to add: From what I saw with my own eyes - the projection through the telescope we saw on the wall was what is shown in the video below rotated to the left 90 degrees, cos it was through a telescope. When I looked through someone's welder's lens at the beginning of the transit, Venus was at about the 1 o'clock postion, as in the video below.

]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333556#Comment_333556 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333556#Comment_333556 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:49:13 -0700 trini_naenae It really depends on the temperament of the cats. My sister brings her cat over to my parents house from time to time, and Watson (lives with my parents) is very mellow and gets along with/tolerates most other cats. And even then, there have been hissing and fighting when he is first introduced to a new cat. And we've had cats that did not tolerate other cats, and would bully/beat up on the newer cat. So what you should consider is the temperament of each cat. How mellow are the cats? How much attention do they expect? Do they want to play quite a bit? Or do they prefer to sleep most of the time? Are they somewhat prickly and demanding? And the name of the cat can be very telling. If a cat is named Princess (or something similarly descriptive of wanting to be pampered), it is not going to be happy about another cat in the house. Personally, I would lean towards picking one of the two since they are both solitary cats, and are probably used to getting all the attention. Ultimately, the decision is up to you, and perhaps the two cats would like each other very much. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333570#Comment_333570 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333570#Comment_333570 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 03:35:46 -0700 Kay Orchison
We watched it from the UWS observatory this afternoon, with 6 children - our 3 and a few of their mates. The old Kombi was pretty low on its springs driving out. The boffins did a brilliant presentation before we went up to the dome, 3D video animations and the whole business. In it they showed the orbits of the Earth and Venus, and yeah, apparently there is quite a significant planar angle between them. I didn't know that until today either.

The uni had some awesome stuff going on today, including a 3-screen array of Windows 7 boxes with a map of the known cosmos on them that you could move around using an X-Box controller. The next version is going to have 5 screens and be Kinect-controlled so you can get around it by making surfing motions, just like the Silver Surfer! Made of win. The kids just about popped with glee.

We're pretty sure that the astronomer William Crabtree is an ancestor of my wife - he kind of looks like her father in the painting, he was from the vicinity of Manchester as her lot were back then, and he had an enormous brain, just like her. He observed the transit in 1639, and 373 years later we were watching as the rainclouds finally parted this afternoon and Venus touched the rim of the Sun's disc. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333571#Comment_333571 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333571#Comment_333571 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 03:40:03 -0700 Wood
This might sound weird, but... in which part of New York are you most likely to encounter people carrying "the end is near" or "repent" signs ? Is there a particular gathering point for such weirdos ?

I'm asking for a friend. No, really. He's writing a book about the apocalypse in popular culture. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333578#Comment_333578 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333578#Comment_333578 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 05:56:40 -0700 Kosmopolit ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333618#Comment_333618 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333618#Comment_333618 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:19:35 -0700 glukkake
I've seen them all over. Likely, if they wanted to reach the most people, Times Square, Union Square, Grand Central Station. Or on one of the major avenues like Broadway. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333638#Comment_333638 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333638#Comment_333638 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:15:08 -0700 Jason A. Quest
It isn't the tilt of Earth's axis that would make the angle of the transit look different from what you expected (though that's part of it, also the fact that Venus' orbit itself is not on the same plane as ours). Depending on where you are on the globe, the direction of "up" changes. For example, Australians see the moon "upside-down" compared to Europeans, because they are upside-down. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333639#Comment_333639 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333639#Comment_333639 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:17:31 -0700 Argos
awesome, thanks! That was one of the first things i had considered, but gave up on that hypothesis because I found myself unable to simulate it in my brain. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333683#Comment_333683 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333683#Comment_333683 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:49:20 -0700 shannon.gilly.3 with a surfboard, hard boot it and reset your wireless router at the same time (if you're using wifi). after that, ask around to find out if any of your neighbors are stealing cable, as that can fuck up your ability to connect to the net without showing problems at the cable company's end. if not, report a defective modem to the cable company. surfboards have a disturbingly high failure rate in my experience, so it may be a defective device. most companies are pretty decent about replacing them. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333695#Comment_333695 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333695#Comment_333695 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:03:35 -0700 Purple Wyrm
A friend and I have come up with an idea for some shirt designs using re-purposed public domain art that we think might find a small market online. We're thinking about putting them up on Cafe Press but I've heard both good things and bad things. Does anyone here have any experience with or advice about the Cafe Press system? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333696#Comment_333696 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333696#Comment_333696 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:04:39 -0700 Purple Wyrm
We see the moon the right way up. It's you northerners who're looking at it the wrong way ;D ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333698#Comment_333698 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333698#Comment_333698 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:11:51 -0700 Argos
I don't have personal experience, but I know Warren uses it to sell some stuff. I believe Ariana runs it, so hopefully she will see this and lend some insight. But I think we can use that as a general positive sign. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333703#Comment_333703 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333703#Comment_333703 Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:56:48 -0700 Purple Wyrm
But no one would dare try and cross Warren and his Chief Mechanic of Doom! :) But seriously, yes, that's a good point. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333727#Comment_333727 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333727#Comment_333727 Thu, 07 Jun 2012 02:31:28 -0700 Ariana
For what you just described, I'd say CafePress is just fine.

The "bad" thing about CafePress is that, yes, profit per item is always going to be smaller when you do a smaller print run. If you can drop a lot of money on 200 or 500 shirts all at once, and you're sure you'll sell all of those shirts, of course you'll make more profit in the long run. CafePress allows you to put an image up and print shirts off one at a time (and also handles invoicing, shipping, and all of the fiddly bits), and you make a little bit less. You say you think you'll have a market, and the design is public domain -- so why would you go with the cost-up-front option (and doing your own invoicing, and shipping, and all the other fiddly bits) instead of the risk-free option? If it really takes off, you can always move to a bulk-printer, later.

If you want to start a new t-shirt selling business full time, or if you need a set number of shirts all at once: go with someone else.
If you just wanna put an idea online and see if it goes anywhere without worrying about it: go with Cafepress.

(Someone is bound to pop up and talk about the difference in print/ink quality. I'm sure there probably is a slight difference in some inks... after 100 or more washes. And, of course, if you wanted any sort of specialty (glitter, GiD, etc) ink, CafePress wouldn't be the way to go. But for "put picture on shirt, go!" CafePress is really not noticeably different from any other professional printer.) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333732#Comment_333732 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333732#Comment_333732 Thu, 07 Jun 2012 04:55:55 -0700 texture
Has anyone got any experience with UK #LiteraryAgents? It has been about ten years since I last sent out sample chapters, so I imagine my contacts are a bit out of date.

I'm putting together a list of agencies to approach, already got a few candidates, but some suggestions of who to target / avoid would be enormously helpful.

I'm also interested in hearing about your experiences of sending stuff to agents... what was the response time (if you got one)? Any bad experiences you can share (name names or don't)?

I'm also happy to keep folk posted on how I get on, if that would be useful.

I write crime, SF and horror.

Thanks! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333737#Comment_333737 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333737#Comment_333737 Thu, 07 Jun 2012 06:49:16 -0700 Purple Wyrm
Thanks Ariana - my main concern was that there might be better options than Cafepress, but it sounds like it's the way to go! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333763#Comment_333763 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333763#Comment_333763 Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:49:20 -0700 Finagle
Greetings;

I have a friend in the Chicago IL area who is faces with having to move and find a new job shortly. She has a conviction on her record from only a couple of years ago, a felony drug offense.

I am looking for any and all resources I might be able to direct her towards in terms of charities, nonprofits, and whatever programs she may be able to take advantage of. I don't even know, for instance, if she would be able to qualify for any sort of housing subsidies given her conviction.

Appreciate links to (a) what felons in IL can and can't qualify for but mostly (b) if anyone has firsthand knowledge of programs, charities or resources that would be helpful to her. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333771#Comment_333771 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333771#Comment_333771 Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:17:59 -0700 MrMonk
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. After consulting with my sister, who still raises cats and fosters ferals for a shelter, I have decided against taking in any cats at this time. Introducing two adults that I couldn't give back seems too risky, and I'm adverse to leaving a cat alone indoors when I have to travel. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333830#Comment_333830 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333830#Comment_333830 Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:25:13 -0700 Kosmopolit
Got an annoying if low-apparent-harm infection of some sort on my machine - it creates random links in text which cause annoying scam ads to pop up if you click on them.

Malwarebytes doesn't seem to be able to detect it and neither does Avast.

So: a. how do I get rid of it and b. how dangerous is it, is it in addition to the pop-ups stealing my soul? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333835#Comment_333835 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333835#Comment_333835 Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:01:45 -0700 Jason A. Quest
Start by trying Spybot Search-and-Destroy and/or the free version of AdAware ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333850#Comment_333850 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333850#Comment_333850 Fri, 08 Jun 2012 17:25:28 -0700 Kosmopolit
Supposedly you can remove it by disabling the text enhance add-on in your browser but there's no such add-on showing in my version of Firefox so this must be an upgraded version.

It's also recommended that you clear all cookies and empty yoru cache so I'll try that.

Plus I might switch to Chrome. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333937#Comment_333937 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333937#Comment_333937 Sun, 10 Jun 2012 05:25:28 -0700 Beamish
So, a friend of mine stated that there is a European country that commonly, for a last name, will take their fathers name and will add -son or -daughter to the end i.e. OdinSON. Is this still a common practice and what country would it have been? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333938#Comment_333938 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333938#Comment_333938 Sun, 10 Jun 2012 06:20:18 -0700 Osmosis
Sounds like Iceland to me. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333941#Comment_333941 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333941#Comment_333941 Sun, 10 Jun 2012 06:51:00 -0700 Beamish ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333949#Comment_333949 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333949#Comment_333949 Sun, 10 Jun 2012 09:21:55 -0700 Osmosis ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333976#Comment_333976 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333976#Comment_333976 Sun, 10 Jun 2012 15:23:53 -0700 Alan Tyson
As I understand it, common practice in Russia is to do this with the middle name, adding -evic (male) or -evna (female) to the end of the father's name.

So, if my name is Vasily, and my dad's name is Ilya, and our last name is Blukov, I'd be Vasily Ilyavic Blukov. My sister Natalya would be Natalya Ilyevna Blukova. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333989#Comment_333989 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=333989#Comment_333989 Sun, 10 Jun 2012 16:46:42 -0700 trini_naenae
That was the norm in Scandinavian countries for quite a while, though it seems that only Iceland still does it. It's one of the reasons why Anderson, Johnson, etc are such common names.

Edit because I have the stupids. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334006#Comment_334006 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334006#Comment_334006 Sun, 10 Jun 2012 18:32:56 -0700 Purple Wyrm
I believe one or other of the Scandinavian countries also used to do "Daughter of" with "Nic-". Hence, Nicolson could either be "Son of Nicol" or "Daughter of Olson". I have no idea if my info on this is at all correct :) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334037#Comment_334037 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334037#Comment_334037 Mon, 11 Jun 2012 03:36:54 -0700 Kay Orchison
Also, a daughter is referred to as such in the Icelandic patronymic, is she not? Hence Björk Guðmundsdóttir? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334050#Comment_334050 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334050#Comment_334050 Mon, 11 Jun 2012 06:06:57 -0700 Ben Gwalchmai
Bram, I gotta warn ya, the average response time is a tricky one: I sent 4 attempts out in early April [5th to be exact] and have had 2 rejections a week ago. That's 9 weeks. I'm waiting on the other two.

I think one thing that might be interesting is trying to start an online discussion with them - there seem to be quite a few on Twitter [though I'm still really bad at using/following/chatting through Twitter - I'm just not built for it] so that might be one avenue, as well as LinkedIn. That's my next plan.

Even as someone who has worked for an international opera company, I'm struggling to get one. Best of luck, sir. Let us know how it goes.

Oh and in addition to the other #LastName comments, in Wales we still use a patronymic system but ours is slightly different: we have [FirstName] [Mother'sName] ap [Father'sName]. 'Ap' means 'son of'. Interestingly, names don't always have to follow that [Mother'sName] ap [Father'sName] tradition if someone's given a particular name by an event, a place, or a teacher so it sort of becomes [AWESOMEnewName] ap [Father'sName]. This is, of course, not in fitting with UK law so most people just have one officially and keep the 'ap [Father'sName]' for Welsh situations. Hope it helps. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334059#Comment_334059 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334059#Comment_334059 Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:33:36 -0700 texture
Ben, thanks for this mate, great to have some feedback from someone else who's been there. I'm currently torn between finishing the project and then approaching agents, or sending out sample chapters and then finishing it, to allow for the delay in getting a rejection or response. Given you've experienced such a long wait, I may go with the latter. I'm also going to see which agents form my list are on Twitter or LinkedIn, that's a really good idea. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334082#Comment_334082 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334082#Comment_334082 Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:45:15 -0700 TypewriterJason
I don't know if this exists or not, but poking Whitechapel for help /suggestions, is kind of the point of the thread.

What I'm looking for is literature regarding space travel. Recent histories, political diatribes, scientific proposals and papers that got shelved when NASA started working for PayPal, that sort of thing. I'm researching this for stories set in a near and semi-plausible future, where we're harvesting helium-3 (for example) and basically alternatively making a mess of and exploring our solar system.

I see articles occasionally in Popular Science, etc. But I'm looking for a big meaty book that I can chew on, or even a hefty web resource that would just take days to comb through. Wikipedia and general googling can only take me so far with this kind of thing and I feel like I'll learn faster with a few friendly pointers. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334083#Comment_334083 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334083#Comment_334083 Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:49:37 -0700 TypewriterJason
Not sure if this is one of the obvious questions, but do you have anything published, at any level, currently? If so, that's at the very least going to help an agent see your worth; someone else thought you were worth publishing.

If you're yet to be published, I'd also suggest concurrently submitting short stories or articles to publications that seem up your alley. I've been finding for myself that working on short stories hones the skills I'll use on longer pieces. (I read Alan Moore saying once that doing 5 page strips for 2000 AD served as a training ground. Once he knew he could create a solid 5 page narrative, he had greater confidence in his ability to do longer work. But I'm drifting from the agency question.) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334139#Comment_334139 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334139#Comment_334139 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:59:31 -0700 flecky
I had that same annoyance a while back, turning random words green. For some reason, it seemed to happen more on this site. I THINK it went away and died a foul death when I started using Chrome. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334143#Comment_334143 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334143#Comment_334143 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:10:17 -0700 Greasemonkey
Stephen Baxter's VOYAGE, while dry and kind of unreadable, is based on Baxter's extensive knowledge of NASA's history and technology. He places the story in an alternate history in which JFK survived the assassination attempt in 1963 and continued as an advocate of space exploration, implementing the actual plans NASA drew up for a Mars mission. Baxter exhaustively describes every aspect of a hypothetical voyage to Mars (hence the extreme dryness of the novel), and there's an appendix with a large number of diagrams of the configuration of the Mars spacecraft at every point of the mission. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334151#Comment_334151 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334151#Comment_334151 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:04:02 -0700 Kosmopolit
Avast, AdAware and Malwarebytes have all failed to remove this damned thing.

Chrome it is. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334165#Comment_334165 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334165#Comment_334165 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:46:29 -0700 Stoto
I've always chewed the inside of my cheeks. Now, I've started biting the sides of my tongue and I have a blister that will not go away until I stop biting it. Stopping is easier said than done.

Does anyone have any tips for smashing these habits? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334168#Comment_334168 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334168#Comment_334168 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:52:17 -0700 dorkmuffin
Honestly, finding another less harmful habit to replace it with. You may lapse but it might let your tongue heal up in the meantime. Mouths do heal quickly at least. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334169#Comment_334169 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334169#Comment_334169 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 20:22:51 -0700 Warped Savant
I started chewing the edge of my tongue a few years ago... not really sure what lead to it, but I can't seem to break the habit either. It sounds strange, but the best thing for it that I can find is using green Crest mouthwash.
Yeah, I know, sounds weird. Something about it seems to detach the loose bit and heals the small cuts faster than anything else. Without the small bits hanging on it makes it harder to chew on it.
(NOTE: Swish it around, keep it in a minute or so. Little fleshy, sticky bits means that it's working.) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334170#Comment_334170 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334170#Comment_334170 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 20:24:42 -0700 rough night
If you bite them in your sleep, your dentist can have a mouthpiece made that you could wear at night to stop the biting - they're also used to keep people from grinding their teeth, but it would suffice for your purposes, too. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334174#Comment_334174 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334174#Comment_334174 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 21:20:49 -0700 Stoto
I don't think I do it in my sleep. It usually happens when my mind is off wandering.

I'll invest in some decent mouthwash and perhaps pop in some chewing gum when I notice I'm doing it. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334176#Comment_334176 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334176#Comment_334176 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 21:23:17 -0700 Warped Savant ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334210#Comment_334210 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334210#Comment_334210 Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:39:25 -0700 texture
@Typewriter Steven - Thanks for the advice mate. I only have one pro publishing credit, the reason I'm accelerating my search for an agent before publishing more short stories is that I've written a crime novel, and it's been nominated for a newcomers award by the CWA... so I'm hoping to capitalise on that. I do have a few short stories in the process of being submitted to pro markets, and have basically been honing short stories for the best part of ten years, but until about November 2011 I was too under-confident to submit them anywhere professional. Cheers though, nice to hear that my cobbled-together strategy isn't too far wide of the mark, in terms of what others are doing. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334228#Comment_334228 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334228#Comment_334228 Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:47:48 -0700 allana
Sorry to bring you guys down. BUT. I witnessed a car accident yesterday, and it was pretty gruesome. I came home and had a few drinks, but it's been 24 hours and I still see, well, the gruesome stuff, basically whenever I get a chance to let my mind wander. And also walking / biking / being on the street is kinda freaking me out. I'm keeping my cool, but I'm wondering if anyone has any experiences to share. Should I be seeking some sort of closure? Talking to anyone? How long does it take to stop yelling at motorists to give me my fucking space? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334236#Comment_334236 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334236#Comment_334236 Wed, 13 Jun 2012 17:55:26 -0700 Jason A. Quest
24 hours is still very fresh in your memory... it'll definitely fade much more with more time.

The main thing I would recommend is to keep yourself as distracted as possible: do things that require your attention, keep music playing, have the fucking television on even if you're not watching... maybe even tuned to something you hate, so you can yell at that instead of passing motorists. Go see Prometheus and talk about what a { creative genius / disappointing has-been } Ridley Scott is, or see Avengers and craft an argument for how it's the most { perfect superhero film ever made / overrated overrendered idiocy since Transformers 2 }. Go to that awesome nightclub you went to a couple years ago but haven't gotten around to going back. Drinking a bit too much is perfectly justified and appropriate. Whatever it takes to avoid being alone with your own thoughts, just for a while.

The thing that fixes unpleasant events in our memory is the way we tend to replay them for days afterward, so the less you can do of that now, the less you'll have to deal with those memories later. I don't recommend going cold-turkey on returning to the streets, because that'd just make it more awkward and noticeable when you did return. But avoiding it a bit and saying "would you mind coming here this time?" when you ask a friend to hang out for the evening should be OK.

There are things I've experienced that at the time I didn't think I'd ever get over. But eventually I have, to the point that last weekend's camping trip looms much larger in my wandering memory than the trick-gone-bad of 15 years ago, or the 3-am-phone-call-from-the-ER of 10 years ago. Talking to a counselor or whatever about it might help at some point, but I wouldn't do that right away. See if just putting some temporal distance between you and the incident helps first. Take care, OK? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334238#Comment_334238 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334238#Comment_334238 Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:06:52 -0700 Kay Orchison
How long does it take to stop yelling at motorists to give me my fucking space?

25 years and counting.

I've had the bad luck to be a witness at a large number of gruesome accidents or their aftermath. Car, train, bike, height fall, death by choking, industrial machinery accidents and a kid getting his toes mangled by an escalator; also dog attack, death by gunshot, and suicide by various means – no plane accidents yet, knock wood, although living under the flight path makes me think it's only a matter of time. I seem to be a magnet for this shit. I quit drinking 4 months ago because in the end it didn't help at all and was creating its own problems. My kids wonder why I do things like suddenly yelling NO! or swearing for no reason, especially when driving, and woe betide anyone who runs through a pedestrian crossing when I or my kids are on it.

One time a speeding taxi nearly ran me down on my own quiet street and I blew up at him. He made the mistake of reversing up to take me on. Even so, I was still content to just roar obscenities at him, until he pulled a pistol. I guess you don't really know what you're going to do when facing down a gun until it happens to you. Apparently I go completely werewolf. Everything went red and I tried to jump through the window of the cab to get to him. I think I might have been screaming something like "I will eat you". I was definitely going for his throat. He fumbled the gun and it went down between his legs. He glanced after it for a second then just floored the accelerator. I fell back out the window. Self preservation has never been my strong suit. Luckily I bounced. Tore my pants but nothing else.

You can't stop the imagery. What you can work on is the anxiety/panic/rage it provokes. I'm on an SSRI which helps a lot, keeps the wolf in his cage and stops me hearing my dead friends through the walls. Vipassana meditation and tai chi help as well. Booze does NOT help AT FUCKING ALL. Neither do cigarettes. They feel like they're helping in the short term but they actually put a wobble in your orbit that you can ill afford. One thing I found that helps is a book I made with blank coloured pages, starting at black and working up through red, orange, yellow, white, pale blue, dark blue and green - I have a place I imagine for each of these, starting with the bad thing I am already remembering and working up to the most comforting memory I can recall. It's an illuminated floor strip to lead me out of the smoke and flames. I need it less and less often now.

This is the basis of neuroplastic change: you practice mindfulness (hence the meditation) because mindfulness - the state of broad focus - is an ideal precursor to loosening existing neuronal bonds and making new ones. You follow this with massed practice and induced constraint: you find a trick to force yourself to keep doing something the way it ought to be done and you use it over and over and over until it sticks. Useful reading to understand how all this works on a neurological level might include The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge and How To Rewire Your Brain by John B. Arden.

Be well. The main thing is to keep turning the page when it hits you. It hits you, you roll with the punch, you turn the page: go on to think about something that makes you feel good, and do it right away. You are not being weak by doing this or betraying anyone's memory, you're training yourself to recover. The more times you do it the faster it gets.

My account name here is my real name. You can look me up on FaceBook if you feel that talking about it in real time will help. It never did much for me, but your mileage may vary. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334240#Comment_334240 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334240#Comment_334240 Wed, 13 Jun 2012 22:37:58 -0700 Greasemonkey
I've seen some pretty horrible shit in my time as well - found a friend's body after he'd shot himself in his apartment weeks before; worked as a first aid officer in a metal fabrication business (mostly dealt with nasty lacerations and severed fingers); present at a couple of fatal and very ugly car accidents. Just last year a bloke jumped off the 25th floor of the apartment block next to mine, and Cat and I walked past just as the Wellesley firefighters were cleaning up the splattery corpse.

The memories don't disappear, but with time they should lose most of their edge. If you find you're still haunted by this after a few months, you might consider talking to a professional counselor.

There're usually a few Toronto Whitechaplains free for a pub night if you feel like going for a few drinks and a chat, too. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334260#Comment_334260 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334260#Comment_334260 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 06:40:19 -0700 government spy
I'd agree with pretty much everything listed above, but also don't forget the positive and healing effects a sickeningly dark and twisted sense of humor can have. I've witnessed some fairly terible things in my life like the folks above me have, and if I couldn't at some point laugh it off, I'd be crazy (crazier?) by now.

I needed a couple of drinks back then to unwind, and a good night to laugh and/or cry about whatever it was that I has witnessed. Maybe in some ways I compartmentalize and bury stuff; I can't speak to whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. Someone told me recently that when I retell stories in which horrible things happened, I state what happened, sometimes almost clinically, but not how I felt. Perhaps that's a survival tactic? If so, it's been working for me so far. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334284#Comment_334284 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334284#Comment_334284 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:37:55 -0700 allana ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334307#Comment_334307 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334307#Comment_334307 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:39:19 -0700 dorkmuffin
In my experience, avoiding substances that aren't booze helps too. Booze helps dull things (oh god that sounds horrid) but other substances just make my mind go OH MAN LET'S THINK OF THE FREAKIEST, MOST DISTURBING SHIT WE CAN. AND THEN LET'S PICTURE IT IN VIVID DETAIL.

Seconding the music/movies/out of the house/friends tips.

EDITED TO ADD:

NO DRINKING ALONE UNLESS YOU'RE WATCHING ABSORBING MINDLESS THINGS LIKE CARTOONS. NO. DO NOT DO IT. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334318#Comment_334318 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334318#Comment_334318 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 23:03:15 -0700 Stoto
This mysterious note was taped to the sun visor of my car when I bought it.
I've grown quite fond of it, but I don't know what it says. Any of you lovely people know?

photo

SOLVED

I've been told it's a good luck chant about Guan Yu. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334321#Comment_334321 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334321#Comment_334321 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 23:20:50 -0700 Kosmopolit ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334325#Comment_334325 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334325#Comment_334325 Fri, 15 Jun 2012 03:21:03 -0700 Kay Orchison
Good advice there from Govspy. True that. True indeed. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334394#Comment_334394 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334394#Comment_334394 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:34:16 -0700 Kosmopolit
When it comes to computer games I'm an old fart - I go for old school turn-based strategy and managerial games.

So Civilization, Warloards, Populous, SimEarth, Simbuilding, Simcity2000, 1830.

I have no depth perception and I only have limited fine muscle control (which helps explain all the typoes) so most recent wargames are useless to me - I can't see what's going on half the time and when I can I can't respond fast enough.

I'm bored to death with most of my old games.

Are their still games out there (preferably for windoes and Android) that focus on strategy and planning and not on how fast you can hit the "fire" buttom ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334395#Comment_334395 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334395#Comment_334395 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 03:45:57 -0700 curb Settlers of Catan is anywhere near as good then I'd recommend it. Wholly turn based, I would assume. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334397#Comment_334397 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334397#Comment_334397 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 04:08:22 -0700 Flabyo
You might like Frozen Synapse.

The most modern Civ, Civ5, is pretty sweet and about to get a new expansion.

Jagged Alliance has had a modern remake recently.

If you've iDevice access there's Hunters 2.

Coming soon there's a fantastic looking reboot of the XCom series.

There should be plenty to interest you on Good Old Games as well. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334398#Comment_334398 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334398#Comment_334398 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 04:49:05 -0700 Kosmopolit
Thanks.

i've treid downloading stuff from abandonia but most of the time I can't get it to run or it still has the copy-protection installed. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334409#Comment_334409 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334409#Comment_334409 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:28:42 -0700 Jason A. Quest
I don't know how well (or even if) they work on modern Windows, but the Myst series (the last video games I found interesting) were high on thinking and low on twitching. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334416#Comment_334416 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334416#Comment_334416 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:44:42 -0700 Argos
My partner has been playing a lot of Crusader Kings 2 recently, which is a pretty slow game. Also they just came out with a Game of Thrones mod, if you're into that. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334417#Comment_334417 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334417#Comment_334417 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:49:20 -0700 Corey Waits
It might be worth posting in the dedicated video game thread (some more/different people might see it there and provide their own opinions), but yeah, Frozen Synapse is fantastic. Singleplayer campaign that's got an interesting enough storyline to keep you playing, but multiplayer is where it shines - asymmetrical, turn-based perfection.

Fray is another one that I'm keeping an eye on - you can get early access to a beta by preordering but as I'm stuck on an underpowered netbook until Sep/Oct I'm holding off on it.

As well as the new Xcom (which looks amazing), there's Xenonauts, which is an unofficial, but apparently rather loyal remake of the original Xcom.

Jagged Alliance 2 is amazing, and available on GOG cheap, DRM-free and they've done work to get it running on new systems.

Those are more in the vein of tactical combat, rather than building and/or management sims. I've heard good things about the Tropico series, but I've never tried them personally, so I'm not sure how they play compared to the Civs and such.

If you don't mind me asking, in what way does a lack of depth perception affect gaming? I would have assumed that because you're watching it on a flat-screen just in front of your face that it wouldn't be an issue, but admittedly the only person I know who has depth perception issues is my 80-odd year old great aunt who is blind in one eye and doesn't play computer games. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334427#Comment_334427 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334427#Comment_334427 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 14:30:48 -0700 Kosmopolit ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334435#Comment_334435 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334435#Comment_334435 Sat, 16 Jun 2012 15:56:55 -0700 flecky
Strangely enough, I was talking to some younger people yesterday about playing text-adventure games years ago. They just looked at me weird, but I know better. Those games were great.

-Examine bed

-You look at the bed, and hidden in the bed is a carrot shaped like a key

-Pick up the carrot

-You can't do that at the moment. You are dead.

See? Brilliant! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334446#Comment_334446 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334446#Comment_334446 Sun, 17 Jun 2012 00:14:19 -0700 curb
'INVALID SYNTAX' ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334454#Comment_334454 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334454#Comment_334454 Sun, 17 Jun 2012 04:54:09 -0700 Finagle
Same request, but for the iPhone/iPad. I've already found /Civ Rev/, which is quite fun in a limited way, and I know I can get MAME-style emulators for the older games. Anything like /Myst/ or /Machinarium/, or even decent single-player RPGs that aren't overly cute and Zelda-like requested . ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334455#Comment_334455 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334455#Comment_334455 Sun, 17 Jun 2012 05:26:58 -0700 Jason A. Quest ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334456#Comment_334456 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334456#Comment_334456 Sun, 17 Jun 2012 05:44:48 -0700 Kosmopolit
"I'm sorry I don't understand that command." ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334457#Comment_334457 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334457#Comment_334457 Sun, 17 Jun 2012 06:22:16 -0700 Finagle ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334459#Comment_334459 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334459#Comment_334459 Sun, 17 Jun 2012 07:31:31 -0700 Warped Savant "Fuck you."

"I'm sorry I don't understand that command."
I remember a Star Trek text game where McCoy would tell you to calm down the first time you swore, would tell you that you should go to sickbay the second, and would give you a sedative that would knock you out and the game would end.

(or something like that... it was many, many years ago and I can't seem to find anything online about it...) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334523#Comment_334523 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334523#Comment_334523 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 02:49:27 -0700 Orpheus
So...

#ThatComicBook

I'm looking for a specific comic book that was restarted after being canceled/shelved after a number of years (decades?).

It was picked up again resuming the original numbering of around issue #20.

Our previous evil overlord has blogged about it, others have recommended it.

Science fiction and post apocalyptic themes.


Thanks for the help guys! ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334526#Comment_334526 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334526#Comment_334526 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 04:25:10 -0700 Jason A. Quest
Are you thinking of Rob Liefeld's Prophet, relaunched by Brandon Graham? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334528#Comment_334528 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334528#Comment_334528 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 06:04:33 -0700 Foamhead
Been using Nero for pretty much everything disc-burning related for years but it's lately been showing some limitations.

Are there any free programs you'd recommend? Preferably one which, in the case of DVD, can convert formats automatically before burning so it'll play on a standard DVD player.

Cheers ears. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334534#Comment_334534 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334534#Comment_334534 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:05:30 -0700 Warped Savant Here, people have often discussed it on here. Writer, Brandon Graham is the brilliant mind behind King City, artist, Simon Roy created Jan's Atomic Heart. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334542#Comment_334542 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334542#Comment_334542 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:03:51 -0700 johnjones
Does anyone know where I can find a patch or something that will let me watch You-tube videos on Firefox again? For the last few days I've been getting this "error try again later" message. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334543#Comment_334543 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334543#Comment_334543 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:20:13 -0700 Slick ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334551#Comment_334551 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334551#Comment_334551 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:16:04 -0700 Flabyo
Yup, Flash is broken in Firefox at the moment. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334564#Comment_334564 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334564#Comment_334564 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:47:21 -0700 johnjones
And uninstalling the most recent Adobe update and scaling back to 11.2 did the trick. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334650#Comment_334650 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334650#Comment_334650 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:50:39 -0700 dorkmuffin
I'm not good at being an adult sometimes. I have ONE bottle of perfume that I kind of like and I got given it as a present for my 16th birthday. My sister stole it for a while, and I still have SOME of it left (gives you a hint as to how often I wear perfume). Recently I realized that perfume can be fun.

The perfume I have is Banana Republic Classic. I think ti's the unisex one. I could buy more of it on EBay (they don't make it anymore) but I'm interested in hearing about what people here think about perfume in general.

Yay? Nay? Any favorites? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334652#Comment_334652 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334652#Comment_334652 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:27:59 -0700 Stoto
@dorkmuffin

I heard perfume has a shelf life (3-5 years?). Bear that in mind if it's discontinued and you're looking on ebay. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334654#Comment_334654 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334654#Comment_334654 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:33:40 -0700 trini_naenae
I am not much of a perfume person. I have a nose for food, but for perfumes, I'm kind of clueless. However, I have had friends who have the sensitivity and ability for that sort of stuff. So I had them help me pick out scents (and they were usually right). I should get bottles for the scents that I liked, but I've yet to get around to it. BPAL (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab) has amazing perfumes, and has sample size perfumes that last a long time. (At least that's what friends who are obsessed with smells tell me, and the stuff I've had gotten for me, I've generally liked.) However, unless you live in LA, everything is online, so it's a guessing game (unless you already know someone who has their stuff). The descriptions etc are a bit goth-y, but I've heard all sorts of good things about them. They also have collections inspired by Neil Gaiman and various nerdy bits of pop culture, so that might be interesting as well. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334677#Comment_334677 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334677#Comment_334677 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:38:20 -0700 Argos
BPAL is nice because it's pure oils, so it doesn't have that alcoholic thing going on. Also, they come in tiny bottles so it forces you to just use little dabs here and there instead of drowning yourself in perfume, which I hate when people. My parents do it when you go out and it's as bad as if people were smoking around me, I just can't breathe. As for actually wearing perfume, I never got into to because it was a source that I didn't really care for putting money into. I was interested in oils such as those from BPAL but never been a fan of the spray on ones (though in middle school I did like the fruity smelling body sprays). I don't pursue perfumes at all now because Edgar isn't a fan of them, he has a sensitive sense of smell. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334714#Comment_334714 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334714#Comment_334714 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:57:45 -0700 Kosmopolit
I bought a no-name Chinese tablet off the internet - a Washion M9.

It has a sim card slot and is supposed to support 3G but when I put a sim card in it, it doesn't seem to recognize it.

Any suggestions?

The description of the tablet says it supports WCDMA/CDMA.

(I should say that apart from this problem the machien is friggin' amazing and a steal at $250. If I end up having ot use it as a wi-fi tablet it'll still be worth the money.) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334716#Comment_334716 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334716#Comment_334716 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:14:10 -0700 Jason A. Quest
It probably doesn't support the frequencies used for 3G/CDMA in your country. The networks in Can/US use different freqs than those in the rest of the world. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334721#Comment_334721 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334721#Comment_334721 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 19:15:52 -0700 Kosmopolit
I've checked a list of carriers here with CDMA coverage. My current provider isn't on it but I'm using a pre-paid plan anyway so I'll just try one of the others. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334724#Comment_334724 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334724#Comment_334724 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 19:44:46 -0700 Argos
k, so, I have limited experience with makeup (but I can finally draw a cateye with liquid liner, huzzah!). Anyway, my foundation is running low, so I need to get some more soon. I've had this foundation for like...5 years. Shows how often I wear the stuff. Anyway, it's a mineral powder foundation (which is why I can get away with using it five years after purchase >__>), and the company I bought it from is no longer in business. I'm looking to go into a Sephora soon and try some stuff out there, and I was thinking I might try a liquid foundation to see if I like that. I'm afraid the coverage might be heavier than I'm used to with the powder, but hoping that if it is heavier, that I can nix concealer altogether except for those days when I have some really garishly red blemishes (I have moderate acne so I pretty much never have clear skin. If i'm not currently broken out, I'm still dealing with hyper-pigmentation from the last breakout. Boo.) So, since I'm used to using a powder foundation, I always put on my liquid concealer first, and then do foundation. I know the "which comes first" deal varies from person to person, but I'm curious to know peoples' preferences. If both my concealer & foundation are liquid, what are the differences, if any, of putting one on first over the other? I only ask cos I'm so used to doing concealer first, then foundation, but I've heard SO many people saying that foundation first is better. Thoughts?

Also, I'm considering getting one of those tinted moisturizers. Any comments on those? How is coverage with those? Or should I just go with regular foundation if I'm looking to cover up hyper-pigmentation from breakouts?

Oh, also, if I go with liquid, do I need a setting powder for it? I figure these are things i can ask when I go to Sephora, I'm just looking for some answers that aren't motivated by sales. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334726#Comment_334726 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334726#Comment_334726 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 20:29:33 -0700 oldhat
Okay, so I don't really use concealer, but when I do I tend to do it after applying liquid foundation so I can figure out if it's even worth applying.

For the longest time I used only liquid foundation and I found it just too heavy and, in the summer months, would kind of melt off. As an alternative which works better is to get both liquid AND powder foundation, start with a very light application of liquid and then put the powder over it. I find it feels lighter on my skin and just turns out so much better. Plus when I go out, I just take the powdered with me for light touchups and it works great.

I'm by no means a makeup expert either, but since foundation is part of my daily thing I ended up seeking out some tips and learned that one from a makeup artist. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334737#Comment_334737 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334737#Comment_334737 Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:02:46 -0700 Kosmopolit ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334779#Comment_334779 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334779#Comment_334779 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:07:41 -0700 badbear
I rarely use foundation and tend to go for very sheer products because I have more freckles than... something very freckly and there's no point in me trying to cover them. My point is that you can find quite sheer liquid foundation on the market without much trouble - i know because it's all I use. Also, you can mix it with moisturiser if you find it too thick or the coverage too heavy in the same way that you would water down paint. If you're prone to breakouts you need to be looking at quite lightweight products that aren't going to overload your skin too much - make sure you ask for oil free and get something with a nice light texture.

I do concealer (first) around my t-zone and then foundation across my forehead/cheeks/neck - I don't use them in the same places. This is mostly because I'm using concealer to neutralise darker/pinker/crappier bits of skin but foundation to cover everything else and even out my skin tone. They're doing slightly different jobs. I sometimes use powder in the summer but it isn't really necessary to set the foundation in my experience.

I've tried tinted moisturisers, including quite expensive ones, and they've always been a bit crap on both fronts. There might be something out there, but I personally think you'd be better getting separate products. You'll be better able to match your skin tone, and skin type.

Oh and if possible, try and speak to a sales person whose make up you think looks good. I nearly always end up getting recommended a foundation that is a shade too dark for me by someone who is as orange as a tangerine. They are wrong and you must not listen. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334784#Comment_334784 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334784#Comment_334784 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:22:45 -0700 Argos
Interesting, I had always used foundation over my concealer as a way to help the concealer blend in with my skin because anytime I wear makeup I get really self-conscious that it's obvious I'm wearing it, heh. I've never tried using them in different areas, but maybe I'll try that out since I tend to use concealer on my cheeks to cover up the hyper-pigmentation there, and then the rest of my face just needs the tone evened out.

The idea of watering down a foundation with moisturizer doesn't sound bad, I might just go that route instead of getting a tinted moisturizer.

@Oldhat - yeah if I find the liquid foundation to be too heavy, I might just end up getting a different powder mineral foundation. The mineral powders are super lightweight and I can't feel them at all. I also find that since I use liquid concealer, it helps to set it after I've put that on. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334904#Comment_334904 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334904#Comment_334904 Sat, 23 Jun 2012 06:10:20 -0700 Warped Savant terrified of our house. Now, it could be that it's still new, but I figure I should ask on here right away in case it might develop into a habit. She's 5 or 6 years old, has lived in mother-in-laws trailer, and sister-in-laws top floor apartment. Now it's in a house with stairs and it doesn't seem to like hearing noises from up there and will fun and hide when it does. Our house is old and creaks a lot. Thankfully upstairs is only the 2 bedrooms and the bathroom, but every time we come down the stairs the cat bolts into the dining room, hides under the table, and stares out the door at the base of the stairs. It doesn't seem to be from just upstairs... any creaks and groans that the house gives sets her to scurrying.
On the bright side, she seems fine with the two of us. We tend to think she just has to adjust to the new surroundings. What to you fine folks think? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334910#Comment_334910 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334910#Comment_334910 Sat, 23 Jun 2012 08:03:40 -0700 johnjones
It's not really a solution, but one of you should walk around upstairs while the other records the cat's behavior to put it on You-tube.

In terms of actual solutions, perhaps one of you could again walk around upstairs and the other should take the cat upstairs to show it that there's nothing to fear. Treats or yummies of some kind should be involved. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334931#Comment_334931 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334931#Comment_334931 Sat, 23 Jun 2012 19:26:24 -0700 trini_naenae Since there is a discussion on foundation and concealer already going, are there any brands that are particularly good for people with oily/sensitive skin (basically, acne). I've usually gone the route of just not even bothering with foundation unless it's for a special occasion (or I'm feeling really self conscious) because most foundations just make the acne worse, and for the most part I've got my skin under control. But I'm always interested to hear what brands are particularly good. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334935#Comment_334935 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334935#Comment_334935 Sat, 23 Jun 2012 21:54:49 -0700 glukkake I'm not a big user of foundation or concealers - I found that using really good cleansers/moisturizers + exfoliating regularly + drinking ALL THE WATER keep my skin fairly blemish free. I have a super old bottle of Lancome Photogenic illuminating liquid with spf 15 that I've used in conjunction with a beige-transparent powder for the past 5 years or more to hide my panda eyes and generally even out my skin for when I know I'm being photographed or televised. I think the "illuminating" bit means that it has a mild lightening/tone even-ing effect (ie: skin bleach) as I've noticed that when I used it regularly on acne scars I had when I was a youngin' they eventually disappeared. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334942#Comment_334942 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334942#Comment_334942 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:17:19 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell TETRIS.

#makeup - What I do: use a primer first. Then a green base for the ruddy blemished areas. Then concealer to blend it in to your skin tone. Then lightly smooth on foundation, or just use a powder if you want to save your skin a bit. I watch makeup tutorials by pixywoo on youtube sometimes, and even though I rarely wear makeup, I love them.

Edited to add: I found one of their tutorials JUST ON BLEMISH COVER UP! Whee!

]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334996#Comment_334996 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=334996#Comment_334996 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:56:23 -0700 Warped Savant She seems to be getting more relaxed in the house, but still doesn't like it when people go upstairs. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335005#Comment_335005 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335005#Comment_335005 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 20:13:41 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell
#insectsong

Where can I order a collection of katydids, cicadas, and field crickets? I've found crickets online, but they are feeder crickets and do not make a lot of noise. I want to try and create summer sounds.

#fonts

Which fonts (or what is the proper term for fonts which) have the spacing AND THE LETTERS all the same size? I am trying to design a logo with my name, and it's terribly distracting to have FOX with the O being off-centered. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335012#Comment_335012 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335012#Comment_335012 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:08:11 -0700 taphead
I've found that the Freesound Archive is a pretty nice source for field recordings and such. I think I've come across another one that actually focuses on insect sounds, I'll see if I can find it again.

#fonts

Fixed width, maybe? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335014#Comment_335014 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335014#Comment_335014 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:58:45 -0700 Warped Savant That being said... does it need to be set as a text file? Otherwise, you may want to find a font you like, put the letters into a image editor and stretch / shrink them as needed. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335015#Comment_335015 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335015#Comment_335015 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 22:07:05 -0700 taphead
Otherwise, you may want to find a font you like, put the letters into a image editor and stretch / shrink them as needed.


That sound you just heard was an army of graphic designers and typographers having an fit. (In other words, this is rather tricky to pull off so that it actually looks good.) ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335017#Comment_335017 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335017#Comment_335017 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 22:37:12 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell
HA HA HAHa ha ha ha. Yeah, I'd tried tweaking the kerning on a few almost-equally sized lettered fonts, but it just doesn't work. Putting an O between an F and an X is actually quite tricky for it to look right, due to the angles of the letters making optical illusions with the space.

#insectsong -

Oh, that site is lovely, and I'll be able to sleep quite well with those samples on repeat while snuggled in my AC at night. But I WOULD still like to find real insects to set free in my back yard, as I'm hoping to claim it as a hang out space. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335021#Comment_335021 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335021#Comment_335021 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:10:32 -0700 Warped Savant
@Rachael -- What style of font do you want it to look like? ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335023#Comment_335023 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335023#Comment_335023 Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:20:55 -0700 Rachæl Tyrell
@warped savant - geometric and symmetrical. So the O of FOX is perfectly centered in the word, and doesn't look crowded on either side. That's it. Seems a simple request for a (free) font, but egad, it's rather difficult to find, unless it looks like an army stencil. I am not skilled enough nor willing to dissect a font to my liking letter my letter. ]]> ASK WHITECHAPEL -- the You Can Haz Help Now thread (Closes June 24th) http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335029#Comment_335029 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=10686&Focus=335029#Comment_335029 Mon, 25 Jun 2012 02:45:24 -0700 Ariana
Museo is not a perfect [fixed-width or monospace are the words you're looking for, depending on the foundry], but for the word FOX it's *nearly* balanced with a very round O. If you want a circle O, you're going to need to sacrifice perfectperfect balance for your free options. If you're fine with a rectangle or oval O, then you just wanna browse the mono options. ]]>