Useless Conversation

[Furiously]

As does combing food out of your neckbeard.

[Selby]

Also a new haircut/style can do wonders. 

I always cut my hair nice and professional for interviews... and never got a job.  Once it was past the middle of my back people started taking me seriously and I actually got job offers.  Don't ask me how that works...

[Morat20]

Just bought a suit. Need to see if it helps in interviews compared to wearing a sport coat and shirt/tie/slacks.

If you didn't already, have it tailored to fit you. (Most places that sell decent suits have a tailor there, thankfully). Makes a ton of difference -- a lot more comfortable, hangs better, and you look a lot more professional for what's effectively 40 bucks. (Plus makes even a cheap suit look considerably more expensive).

As to the washers: I totally want one of those front loaders too....mine washer and dryer are 10 years old (my dishwasher and fridge are older) so I'm already saving up. I much prefer paying cash.

[Chimpy]

If you didn't already, have it tailored to fit you. (Most places that sell decent suits have a tailor there, thankfully). Makes a ton of difference -- a lot more comfortable, hangs better, and you look a lot more professional for what's effectively 40 bucks. (Plus makes even a cheap suit look considerably more expensive).

I bought it from a local men's store that includes basic alterations as part of the price.

[Morat20]

I bought it from a local men's store that includes basic alterations as part of the price.

Most seem to these days, but I've met a few guys that seem to be adverse to it -- generally working in my field. "It's fine off the rack". "I don't want to mess with it".

I was sold the first time I put on a pair of pants that were actually altered to fit me (more than hemming, at least). Hell, I'd have jeans tailored to fit exactly how I like them if I could. I can defintely see why people with the cash go for bespoke tailoring. It's night and day, both in comfort and looks.

[Yegolev]

Drawbacks to front-loading washers include frequent cleaning and the inability to dump a basket into one.  The wife and I compromised and we got a nice 5 cf top load HE, normal retail well over $800 but we got it for $699 at BrandsMart.  There is a glass top so I can stand there and watch it.

I could have fixed the old one, as long as I was correct in thinking it was the clutch or transmission I would have gotten it in one go.  The problem there is taking out the basket and breaking the seal.  Too much trouble.

[Merusk]

Drawbacks to front-loading washers include frequent cleaning

The top of the washer? Why would it need any more 'frequent' cleaning than the top of a dryer?

[Yegolev]

Drawbacks to front-loading washers include frequent cleaning

The top of the washer? Why would it need any more 'frequent' cleaning than the top of a dryer?

The seals/whatsits around the inside of the door.  Apparently modern washers have to be cleaned from time to time, although that's probably a good thing since my old washer looked pretty dirty after eight years of use.  The front-load washers, I'm told by the sales woman, have a mildew problem if not properly maintained.

[Merusk]

Ah, I remember my sister saying something about that.  It's apparently not a problem if you do a load or two a day, as one has to do with 3 boys.   If you're a once-a-week type of person I can see the problem, because the water would sit and the door is sealed.

[Trippy]

Huh interesting:

http://housewares.about.com/od/laundryappliances/qt/preventingmold.htm

[Sky]

Yeah, I sold the front-loader that came with my house because it had a hellstench. That's when I bought the caveman model I mentioned above. It's not a cheap model, it's a simple one. Top loader, not HE. Love it.

Since I only do a couple loads a week (but all on the same day), a front-loader doesn't work. Especially since it's in my dampish basement.

One thing about the hellstench washer - the gasket never drained fully. There was always an inch of standing water in it, because the drain holes were an inch up the side, rather than at the bottom. I've heard of draining issues with the tub, but the gasket was just crap design (low end kenmore).

[Lantyssa]

I'm pretty sure my Maytag is 40 years old.  It works well enough.

[Chimpy]

My mom has a Fisher Paykel that is the best of both worlds. It loads from the top, but it has a horizontal drum like a front loader (there is a hatch inside that seals the drum once you hit start).

They had one of the original front loading HE Maytag Neptunes before they moved as well. The rubber seal around the door needed to be cleaned of schmutz quite often on the Maytag.

[Selby]

It's not a cheap model, it's a simple one. Top loader, not HE. Love it.

I prefer these kind.  When I bought a washer & dryer for my house, I bought these.  Not crappy, well built but with zero frills and too many bells and whistles.  My dryer is the same way.  My ex wife bought a $900 dryer when hers died... I spent half that for both of mine.  And she is worried about money... 

[Nebu]

Top loaders are incredibly inefficient.  They require more water and if you wash clothes in warm water, that extra water requires a lot more energy to heat. 

While front load washers are more expensive, they will pay for themselves many times over in energy savings from a typical top loader.  I also find that clothes come out better from a front load machine... maybe that's just me. 

[ghost]

I'm not allowed to do laundry since I turned a load of clothes pink about 10 years ago.   

We just buy whatever the wife says she needs to have. 

[Sky]

Top loaders are incredibly inefficient.  They require more water and if you wash clothes in warm water, that extra water requires a lot more energy to heat. 

And also require more regular maintenance if you do infrequent loads, as we've discussed.

I also do not have a water meter on my house and our reservoir was set up during boom times and can support about double our current population. So water, we have lots and it's free. I do mostly cold washes for clothes.

[Minvaren]

This sounds like a good place to jump in and say how much I love my spin dryer.    

Dropped my electric bill by $15 a month, so it paid for itself in a little over a year.  My clothes also last longer due to being beat up in the regular dryer less.

[Merusk]

Only Bob Mondello could turn a review of Harry Potter into a rumination on the career paths of the Twilight "Actors"   

I hate his "reviews" for NPR.

[Minvaren]

You folks ready for some heat the next few days?

Looks like the midwest and southeast are going to melt...

[Rasix]

Only Bob Mondello could turn a review of Harry Potter into a rumination on the career paths of the Twilight "Actors"  

I hate his "reviews" for NPR.

Not a fan.  I turn the channel when either him or the book reviewer come on.  

Most of their entertainment/pop culture junk isn't tuned to "nerd".  It holds little appeal to me.

[Ingmar]

I like him better than the whiny sounding TV dude on Fresh Air. David Biancouli or w/e.

[Merusk]

David Tschews? (sic.)   Yeah I don't like him either.   They've got a stable of reviewers for books unlike music and movies so once in a while something geeky slips in.  For example, Lev Grossman reviewed A Dance With Dragons on Monday.  

In general I figure NPR is aimed at someone not me for all entertainment.  Books, Movies, Music, TV.  Almost none of it is something I'm ever very curious about.  I always figure it's because I'm not over 55.

[Strazos]

You folks ready for some heat the next few days?

Looks like the midwest and southeast are going to melt...

Unfortunately, DC isn't much better, with temps in the high 90s, and I'm sure lots of humidity.

[ghost]

So the boy keeps insisting on hearing the Star Wars Cantina song whenever he's riding in the car.   

[JWIV]

You folks ready for some heat the next few days?

Looks like the midwest and southeast are going to melt...

Unfortunately, DC isn't much better, with temps in the high 90s, and I'm sure lots of humidity.

Maryland summers.  Weeeeee. 

[Paelos]

It's 76 in Atlanta right now. I don't see the problem. 

[ghost]

I swear you old fuckers better start talking about something besides the weather.  For fucks sake.   

 

[Lantyssa]

If this heat continues, I won't have a lawn to tell kids to get off of.

[Minvaren]

I swear you old fuckers better start talking about something besides the weather.  For fucks sake.   

 

Can I talk about how Google is changing shit too often for no reason and making me want to drop them like a live hand grenade? 

[Pennilenko]

I swear you old fuckers better start talking about something besides the weather.  For fucks sake.   

 

Can I talk about how Google is changing shit too often for no reason and making me want to drop them like a live hand grenade? 

You wouldn't actually drop a live grenade. It would kill you. You should have said, thrown away instead.

[Furiously]

I swear you old fuckers better start talking about something besides the weather.  For fucks sake.   

 

How's everyone's bowel movements been lately?

[Merusk]

Let's say I decided I need to increase my fiber.

[Yegolev]

Kefir fixed my problems.

[Furiously]

I went for the kefir, saurkraut, kimchee combo myself. It worked. And yogurt.