?

I know opposite of what most probably ask. I'm a guy too, and yes I have painted my nail before, but this is for another application.

I just landed a 70s road bike frame and want to touch up some scratches. Its an aged magenta/maroon/purplish metallic paint and I'm pretty sure its lacquer(washed it off and it got cloudy until it dried thoroughly).

I figure I'll bring the fork or maybe the whole freaking frame over to the mall and walk into MAC or Sephora and start trying to find a close match. If I cant find something exact Ill buy a few colors and mix them together until its close.

I wonder what sot of reception I'll get? Maybe I'll sit in the chairs and instead of letting them make me over or whatever we'll sit there and try to find a really close color.

Anyways nail polish is lacquer from what I know of it and it dries too fast for what Im trying to do. Is there any way to extend dry time. Like a retardant instead of an accelerator? I know they have it for water based paints and maybe even enamels and other oils. Can I cut it with lacquer thinner and then mix? I need to slow drying time so I can mix until its the right color.

I was considering going to the Industrial Sherwin Williams shop in town and seeing if they could color match with an auto paint but then I'd have to buy too much. I'm not looking to repaint the frame. It would ruin the original pin striping and accents on the lugs and head tube. Plus I would have to buy like at least a quart of auto paint and that's way too much for what I'm doing.

I just want to hit up a few scratches and such. I doubt my attempts to rejuvenate the bike frame will ruin the value lol. I got it for like $50 so nail polish is kind of in line with the project.

And where can I find unbiased details of all candidates views and opinions? Preferably not on the internet or through a big media outlet. Do public libraries carry unbiased and not sponsored publications on all candidates stances? I want facts not sensationalized opinions and critiques. Maybe that is too must to ask for from America these days...

In case I cant find one that I agree with I think I should quantify their stances and develop a metric to chose who I cast a vote for. I must have data for this process where do I get it?

I don't get the feeling we do.

I see many people immediately take aggressive "kill em all" stances over every criminal action that makes the news that doesn't sit well with their personal moral convictions.

Not saying I'm with the criminals but they are innocent until proven guilty or they used to be.

When I say indie I mean indie. Not these "indie" outfits with multi-million dollar budgets and a load of "indie" talent that has already produced and published successful titles, but those like I wish I could be (if I could focus more) who are developing with a hand full of friends and aquaintences with a budget of $0 and whatever we can scrape out of the sofa with no real game industry experience to speak of.

I realize at such a small scale it would be virtually pointless for big patent trolls to chase us, but if by chance a small time indie developer were to see at least some reasonable compensation for their efforts what actions can be taken to prevent ourselves from infringing upon some trolls patent they bought?

It seems that is has gotten to the point where one could be sued for using a bubble sort because facebook patented it first or something ridiculous like that. 5 liners of code that are undeniably obvious and overly broad in their description are awarded patents. Now that the laws have changed to first to file I think that actually hurts the little guy in my opinion since most small fish cant afford the $25,000 patenting costs for every little method, function, and procedure that pops out of our brains like these billion dollar tech giants can.

Mojang is being sued by a troll for using some patented security algorithm, and although they are bigger than I will ever be, whats to say some component of a game I may be working on doesn't infringe on some non producing trolls patent they bought with their millions. I dont really feel inclined to pay Apple royalties because a list-like menu bounces when you hit the bottom, or that I used a list at all. I dont think I should have to be concerned with being sued because I chose to use an algorithm that validates sign in to protect data in an effective manner just because a shell company owns the patent to it.

Of course I know about the patents that make it to the media, but what about the others that we don't know of that are still in queue to be approved. That may not be approved for years. How does one avoid those? And in software development how does one avoid the patents on scripts so simple and generic in their application? There aren't always infinite number of ways to accomplish a task like validating the length of a string entered into a text box, but it seems the best and most obvious ways are already patented.

I know odd question and has nothing to do with anything in my life right now I was just wondering was all. Since one probably can't work under house arrest how do they cover living expenses? Life isn't free and water, electricity, food, shelter all cost. Who foots this bill?

Or in these cases where offenders have no support network do they just determine that house arrest is simply not logistically possible and the offender is not given the option? That's probably an answer to my own question.

Jesus Ive been shopping for a new vehicle(or used) and here in the states I think they literally stopped making manuals who knows when. My father wouldn't let me get my license 14 years ago if I couldn't drive a manual and a lot of my cars have been manuals since. I love stick shift. It makes even a very much not sporty car at least feel that way. So much more control too.

Can you believe I saw a used Porsche the other day listed with an automatic?! I didnt think they made Porsches with autos... I mean it was a Boxster but still. Im still in denial and feel it was a miss-listing and what they think is a Porsche Boxster was really like a Dodge Caravan or something. Used too... so someone else already bought it like that. Well they got duped out of hard earned money paying Porsche prices for a minivan.

I was looking at new VW Golf and said hey the base model isnt so bad with the 5cyl. 2.5L and a manual. Not the most sporty thing out but Id be happy with that for years. I look into the dealers inventory and everything they have around here is the auto. Oh and it it pushes the price of a base model Golf beyond my range so no go there.

Then I thought, "Hey, what about the cheapest car in the US the Nissan Versa? Surely it must have a manual?" Well yeah the "cheapest" option is equipped with a manual but leave it to the irony of American capitalism to advertise most inexpensive and then never actually make any of those models that qualify as least expensive. Instead all they offer at the lots are the packaged up auto versions that loft above the "least expensive" msrp by thousands. In fact the least expensive Versa I saw on a lot was listed at $18,000 US! What a gyp! Ill hold on to my money and wait until I find that oh so rare base model VW Golf that probably doesn't exist here in the states and have it shipped to my city because I'm sure it wont actually be in town.

For those of us who have to make our own repairs to vehicles as a result of the outrageous cost of a mechanic I can say that manuals are a godsend. I was working on a friends 90's Acura and it had a manual. The thing is like the size of a bowling ball and weighs about the same(maybe that's an exaggeration). Ive seen a very large man lift an entire Honda motor and manual tranny out of a bay bare handed, the same motor with an auto took three of us and an engine hoist that was maxed out.

Anyway all that I want at this point is a car with a manual transmission and it is getting harder to find one by the day.

I figure the importation of a relatively inexpensive used car from Europe + emissions outfitting would be my best bet.

Hey is Canada as bad as the US? Or do most people buy manuals there too? Eh but I bet rust is a problem from salting roads in the winter...

Maybe Mexico? Ill take a few days off to go south of the border to shop for a car. I live in the south anyway. Ill just drive my auto pickup down there and trade it for something with a manual lol.

Im not some hipster kid who was born in 1990 expressing some unfounded nostalgia for cars older than me just because we were "made" in the same year. Although I am young, I can remember when these cars were new. In my area one could shoe horn into a drivers license at 14 if your parents had the money to insure a 14 year old. So even in junior high I was eye balling cars. I also remember being able to buy VW bugs (before these garbage new versions) for like $250 in running condition when I finally got my license. Now you can barely find them. Of course my family didn't have the means so I didn't get my first car of my own until I was out of high school and saved enough from working in construction. Even since Ive been through my share of used POS cars and have yet to get a really awesome car that I can be proud of. I haven't really made any money since, and finally find myself well employed so Ive been dreaming and surfing the internet looking at all the cars Ive ever wanted to buy over the past 16 years while I save. Im disappointed though, nothing new compares in looks to say early 90s Acura NSX, Ferrari 348, Nissan Z32, Mitsubishi 300GT/dodge stealth(I remember the first commercial I saw for that car), Toyota Supra, Dodge Viper(remember the television show?), and the RX-7 oh and we cant forget the R32 Skyline(hell throw in the R33 too even though late 90's). I know its a wide range of prices but man those cars just look awesome to me and had performance to boot. Now a days "sports" cars are 5 door econo-hatches, inflated "compacts" larger than full size vehicles of the early 90's, or sorry attempts at recreating the 60's styles with modern plastics and 20" rimzz... I remember when 16" wheels were upgrades and 17" was ridiculous and excessive.

bah! maybe I can find one of those cars and rebuild it. That would be awesome. I guess some of those models extended into early 2000's but by now they have been so dramatically changed I dont even care to follow up with the new "improvements"

How often can I have moved, or how many addresses listed on background and credit reports, before I would not meet the qualifications to be bonded when working for a bank?

This apartment I have had for just under a year and my last place I lived in for 3 years but before that I moved pretty often, sometimes twice per year. A a result I have many addresses listed and some, like my fathers and sisters I continue getting mail at despite trying to change the listed addresses and having mail forwarded. I guess everyone who rents is in a similar situation and they have accommodations in reports for keeping track of where you get mail and where you actually live. I guess I could always go through my files if necessary and pull my old copies of leases.

I recently landed a job at a financial institution and keep freaking myself out that they will find some little tiny insignificant thing that will disqualify me from being employed there. I keep imagining something stupid like the address thing I'm asking about here, or having too many parking tickets in the past, or something equally miniscule to normal everyday people but not a bank.

I know I'm just freaking out but I wonder if the address thing could burn me or if there is some other ridiculous thing that could. Ive never been arrested nor filed bankruptcy or had a lien besides when I financed my truck but that was standard I assume. Its not like I missed payments or defaulted. In fact I paid it off early. I have pretty good credit scores too.

Obviously two weeks before I intend on leaving my current employer but here is my situation.

I have interviewed, followed up, and given the job I applied for. However employment depends on a credit and background check (bank employment). I have no criminal record, at worst some parking tickets and a speeding ticket in the past 7 years, and my credit is pretty good so no worries there.

What Im most concerned with is how long the check could take and when I should put in my two weeks. Should I do it before I know the results of the checks or should I wait until they give the all clear and then put in.

Id like to have as small a window of down time as possible (tight budget) but i dont want to put in the two weeks then find myself out of work at the end because something trivial, like one of my references didnt get back to them or they didnt like what the reference had to say or that they dont like my NRA membership, which prevents them from hiring me after all of this.

I know thats an exaggeration but who knows. If they see I had x number of parking tickets... maybe thats a repeat offense despite the extreme insignificance of parking incorrectly and how common it is. I know this isnt DoD clearance just FDIC guidelines but Ive never dealt with this before and Im a bit at odds.

Im not sure I trust my current boss to take it lightly that I am quitting. I feel that they rely on me a lot and he is rather unpredictable. He could be enraged at the idea that I am quitting or very happy that I got a job related to my degree that I was working on while employed there. Worst case scenario he fires me on the spot after I hand in a letter of resignation, best case he doesnt care how long the pre-employment process takes and is willing to let me keep the job even if for some unforeseen random bizarre miniscule thing keeps me from getting the job at this point.

Any advice. My timeline is I can tell him tomorrow or wait till the checks are done then give two weeks. Also I dont want to keep them waiting too long (say the time it takes to check + two weeks) although I imagine they would understand. However if I ask to wait until the check goes through it might sound like Im scared theyll find something.

I read an article that suggested websites like facebook, stunbleupon, and even this one are so popular and effective at consuming users time because by design they efficiently target and stimulate dopamine release in humans. The same article suggested that dopamine is not really a positive happy neurotransmitter but more so one agent that encourages a searching behavior in animals. In a more natural setting the dopamine activity would be followed and ended by a serotonin release when what was being searched for is found. A sort of positive reinforcement for finding say food, shelter, a mate.

This article suggested that these sites are good at stimulating dopamine but get humans stuck in a loop that never ends. We can spend hours per day earching facebook but never feel satiated. Thats why we aleays have those just one more status, one morr checking of my friends profile pics, one more yahoo question, or one more stumble and ill get off. Then 4 hours later we fid we are still on the site and have neither founf anything new or gotten off.

I also have read that rodents will use a running wheel for hours non stop even if they have never experienced one before. Its suggested that the wheel stimulates a searching instinct and gets the rodents stuck in a loop.

Im connecting these two concepts and presuming they are similar in nature.

What do those psychologists of this community think about my hypothesis?

What do you facebook users think about being compared to rats running on a wheel?

Im glad i can say my brain has evolved to a higher level of awareness and it allowed me to recognize the useless nature of facebook and delete my account. If only i was smart enough to sever my questioning and answering on thos site and postings on others lol.

Factoring for inflation recent college graduates can realistically expect entry level salaries equivalent to between $4000 and $8000 in dollars from around the time you graduated college.

Back then was that an acceptable salary? For a college graduate? For anyone? I know my father was making $30000 in late 70s dollars as a new england carpenter. Not $30000 of todays dollars but of 70s dollars. He always says he basically hasnt had a raise in 30 years. I tell him hes actually had reduction in income because of inflation. He make basically the same number amount but noe substantially worth less.

I personally have what would amount to about $12000 in 1975 dollars of student loan debt.

So boomers think back, what would you be doing in 1975 after graduating college with $12000 in debt and an income of maybe $5000 per year?

Im actually really curious. I always ask for financial advice to reduce my expenses and i never get good advice. Always the obvious and rather ineffective answers like, "do you need cable? Get rid of things like that." Well duh i ay, thats why i dont have cable in the first place. I need a solution to the large disparity between what im being offered as a salary and my cost of living components i cant change.

Well anyways how did you guys live on say $4000-5000 in 1975? How much did you spend on rent, food, phone line, various transporation and insurance costs, maybe entertainment?

Just heard a bit on npr i think about china flexing its muscles off the shore of the philipines. Something to do with american oil companies finding large deposits there and working with the philipines to set up drilling.

Of course china will have interests too i understand why too.

Now they talk about US military "training" operations with the philipines in the area.

Is this the beginning of another oil war like we have been in in the middle east, this time with china?

I mean i guess it should be expected soon. Probably the two largest oil consumers, china and the US, would eventually step on each others toes for their oil fixes. Its like two best friends addicted to dope fighting with each other for the last of the stash.

Id rather not be in a war with china.

Just wondering. I would assume if 48% of the US households dont pay federal income tax it is because they either refuse to pay or dont make enough to qualify to pay.

If the latter isnt this a problem of unemployement, underemployement, and extreme poverty situations?

How and why can such a large percentage not pay? Doesnt this indicate there are bigger problems than what they blabber on about over the elections?

I mean can half the country literally earn less than whatever the minimum taxable about is? Or refuse to pay? Or find loopholes out of paying?

I graduated a year ago and cant find true entry level software development, app development, it, or other related work. It is in part due to where i live, but i cant afford to move. Any work i find at my nill experience level doesnt pay enough to even cover rent and student loan payments.

Ive got work but its a deadend job that barely pays the bills. Id like to start a family someday but it will never happen at my current salary.

Like i said i cant move to where the industry is, i have no experience, and high student loans. I didnt have the opportunity to enslave myself in an internship(there literally none in my field in this butthole of a city). The school rewuired them f graduation for all other degrees besides mine because they couldnt ensure there would be enough it related internships avaiable for all students in my program. Throughout my time i only saw mayne 4-5 internships offered that were related.

I cant even go work for a computer retailer. There are none besides bestbuy and they are iffy about hiring sometimes. Plus i doubt they pay enough either. As a second income it might work but i cant be arunteed they would allow me to schedule around my current job.

Its bs really, when i declared my major i coulf look on job boards and find umpteen listings for entry level it and development work no experience needed just degree and references and maybe some small amount of general work experience to show maturity and reliability for reasonably acceptable salaries. Now all i see of the 1.5 listing per day are "entry level" but thet want 5 years progressive experience directly with development in php, java, c++, c#, .net, javascript, jquery, sql, etc, etc. They want you to practically be a developer alrrady to work for them getting coffee. Oh and theyre only able to pay $10/hour.

I can make more than that cleaning used condoms off of hotel room floors. My rent and student loan payments together exceed the take home on $10/hour for a 500sqft apartment.

I signed up for Virgin Mobile yesterday at Best Buy and had them port my number from Sprint. The girl told me my Sprint phone would work until they did the switch then Virgin should be working.

Well over 24 hours later and neither of the phones are working. I figured Virgin made the request for the port from Sprint because they turned off the service to my old phone but the Virgin phone still is not activated!

I cant put minutes on it over the phone because it keeps telling me, "this account is not authorized to place calls to this number."

I cant sign in to the Virgin top up area because it keeps telling me, "that phone number isn't a Virgin Mobile number." Plus I don't really recall my pin, password, or v-whatever they want. I think I remember it but it wouldn't make any difference as they aren't recognizing my number.

My cell phone has the correct number programmed in and a different MSID but I hear thats normal.

Should I try the MSID?

I cant call Virgin Customer Support because I don't have a working phone!

I figure emailing them might help if they read those but since my number is obviously not in the system and I cant really remember my pin I'm not sure how they would help me.

Any plans/options out there for me to consolidate ALL of my federal student loans? Stafford, perkins, etc. I don't have any private just federal.

Likewise what of the options would qualify later for income sensitive and/or income contingent repayment terms.

I'm desperately trying to reduce my payment amount, currently $610 per month, in preparation to move into the industry I actully have a degree in. The base pay for someone with no experience like me is too low to afford rent + that payment + food.

I'm paid sufficiently to almost cover all my expenses but my job is just that a job. I've worked here prior to graduating and now for a year post graduation. I hate dealing with the patronizing clients that assume I'm just dumb labor, ill never get a raise or promotion, it has nothing to do with my education r desires in life, I'm not even gaining experience sufficien to move on outside of this company, its basically pergatory.

Anyways besides a million other problems I have with this employement it has boiled down to me taking drastic measures and between a 25-50% pay cut but moving to a more challenging and engaging industry that actually has room to grow and promote myself. But alas the education I pursued to gt me out of labor work has stuck me here forever because of the assocated debt.

Anyways, the payments are my biggest budget item. If I can get those down I can maybe make the switch.

Again I'm looking for a consolidation option that will inclue the perkins loans that I can later file for income sensitive or contingent payment options.

Is there even a single high profile, high earning, or supr successful individual in the IT, software development, computer engineering, or gaming industries who actually came from a poor family?

It seems all I ever hear about are Havard or other ivy grads or dropouts who's parents were lawyrs, techies, high ranking government contractors etc. starting their own firms or something and hitting it big though their drive and genius. It feels like the only way to make it is to aleady be there.

Would Gates have been who he is without the rumored trust fund and high profile parents? Had he been raised in a family like mine he would have never even had the chance to see a computer until the 90's.

I was born in the early 80's to a carpenter father and then house wife mother(later secretary) with a family house hold income that never exceeded $35,000 per year with 3 kids and our grandmother to support with that. We didn't own a computer until 1993 or 1994.

Is there anyone out there even making a decent living in the tech field coming from a working class family or lower? <$35,000 per year for 6 member family or similar in the 80's 90's or maybe 00's. In a major metro area.

How does a poor kid become a tech industry success with massive student loan debt, no experience, no network, no support from family(financial, emotional, or general), and a totally unrelated job that just barely pays the bills?

I'm not the contractor, just the labor, but I was reamed yesterday by the homeowner because he didnt like the way I did something aesthetically. However the reason I was doing it was because it was dictated by our buildng code.

My workmanship was not in question, simply my motives for the action.

Specifically I was trimming interior doors so that, when shut, they would have a 3/4 inch air flow space underneath that is also parallel with the floor surface.

His fear is that the opening is excessive and undesireable aesthetically. Some doorways have two floor levels, carpet and hardwood, so I cut to the higher one to meet a minimum 3/4 inch air flow space. Consequently it leaves the side that is slightly lower with a space closer to 7/8-1 inch.

Nothing I have done has broken code, infact it brings the house more to compliance. I have had HVAC subs request that I cut air spaces to 3/4 inch in the past and so I have made it a standard practice for the past 7 years.

There are no other accomodations for return air flow, so I'm less than concerned if these spaces exceed 3/4 inch as it would only benefit A/C function in our hot climate. However any fluxuation will be as stated above and will be a result of uneven floor level surfaces.

The contractor agrees with me, so my job is not at stake, but I see this becoming one of those "issues" at the end of the build that cannot be solved. I have no personal access to the IRC book as they are beyond my price range to prove this one little bit, but the contractor has assured me my actions are within the requirements.

I know its a minor issue, and the inspectors here are pretty laxed on small things like this so the house will probably pass without me cutting the doors. I however just want to do it the right way. Now half his doors are cut the other half are like 1/8-1/4 inch over floor level but I won't cut anymore unless the inspector fails it.

It seems I spend money on food to maintin life, but as I live longer I make less money due to inflation and enter farther into debt.

It seems investing money into myself is a losing investment.

I'm riding my bike at 7:43pm central time going west/north westish. Just saw a huge white streak for a split second traveling west maybe south westish.. I'm in southern louisiana, new orleans to be precise. What the hell was that?! I know 2005 YU55 is supposed to come close tomorrow the 8th but it couldn't be early what in the world was that?! Nor could I have seen it with my bare eyes...? Had to be something entering the atmoshpere or am I imaging it?