As self-driving cars become more and more common, so too does the chance of a friend or family member arriving at your house dead.
That joke died in transit.
~looks down~ So self driving cars now steal scales as some sort of joke?
As self-driving cars become more and more common, so too does the chance of a friend or family member arriving at your house dead.That joke died in transit.
“When I die, I want to go like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.”
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The difference between wizard cats and the rest of the non-wizarding world:
Plans to acquire public housing
Yesterday:
BF: What’s the link for the Build to Order + Resale of Balance Flats on Housing Development Board(“HDB”)?
Me: (Cool as Cucumber) Not up yet. Don’t bother – when it’s up they’ll send me an SMS on my cell.
(I signed up for cellphone SMS reminder so I wouldn’t miss any public housing launches)
Today:
11am, phone buzzes.
Me: *looks at phone* Oooh. HDB alert that the Build to Order (“BTO”) and Sale of Balance flats are out! Promptly txts BF informing him about it.
Me: *takes a cursory glance at the Build To Order and Sales of Balance Flat locations*, then txts all of them to BF. One of them is the one he wants, Kallang.
Unfortunately I have to run some errands during lunch break so I tell him to go find out more about their locations.
BF: Here’s a picture. (Shows Block 10A/B/C near Boon Keng Station)
Me: Ok - how which blocks are they in and how many units do they have available for sale and at what level?
BF: The website doesn’t show!
Me: (knows its rubbish, since the last round I furnished my BF with which units were available which included which level)
Me: Look – there were 21 units available. Do you even know which Blocks they are in, and how many units are available?
BF: You can come to my house after dinner then we can go and research together and find out!
Me: I don’t see the point since if the units available are not in the locations we want, what’s the use of making a trip to your place?
By then, my errands are done.
Me:*Digs the website with paws, irritatedly*
Me: *Comes out with the complete list of Blocks(with addresses attached) with Units available for sale*
Me: *Sends the complete list to BF*
Me: And I did that on cell. I won’t take Blocks 25,26, 78 and 117. That means it’s 10/21 units which will be unfavourable choices for us.
BF: But I need the maps to see the location!
Me:*Sends over the maps as well*
BF: Agree with you on the blocks.
Me: There’s a difference between jumping into things, as opposed to finding out the facts then making a decision.
For a little more context, the whole thing is like a lottery. If you sign up for it, and you’re picked, you may be able to pick any/some of the 21 units that were allocated for sale. Or you may just be allocated one unit randomly. No one’s done this yet, so we don’t really know how the process works, and no we called in before and the Housing Development Board staff said they can’t reveal how it works either.
Me: Are you sure we want to do it? There are penalties for not accepting the units once we’ve signed up for Sale of Balance Flats. Like:
If you were invited to select a flat, but did not do so even though there were units available you would be considered as having rejected to select a flat once
Any additional chances accumulated from your previous unsuccessful applications will be set to 0
If you reject 2 chances to select a flat, you will have your first-timer priority suspended for a period of 1 year.
Your first-timer priority will continue to be suspended for another year if you continue not to book a flat when invited twice during a 1 year period.
BF: Register first.
Me: Ok, then prepare the income statements for the last 3 months. We’ll complete the application at your place.
A lot faster then going there and deciding whether you should apply for sale of resale flats, no?
The whole rest of the week is sunny and warm!
Take that cold and wet induced arthritis!!
Now I get the sun domain.
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The whole rest of the week is sunny and warm!
Take that cold and wet induced arthritis!!
arthritis?
Who are you, nobodyshome?
It doesn't hit often, usually once or twice in spring and fall, but with the combination of an incredibly wet spring and working again it's been more frequent then I'd like.
Whatever, that which doesn't kill us makes us something something.
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That moment when you return to the forums to discover everything is different.
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also, since I have a steady job now, I may be back for good?
maybe.
we will see.
I hope that is a reference to the altered Paizo format and not to me.
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Yay! for Tiny T-Rex's concert! I hope it went well. Thankfully he can't pull his fur out from nerves. Feathers or scales maybe, but not fur.
Yay! for Limey becoming an uncle! Hopefully no fur, feathers, or scales pulling out/molting there either.
I am now Extra Uncle! (x5)
Anyone wishing to admire the UK's transport system should probably leave it until Northern Rail's bolloxing up of the timetable change has been reversed. Bah.
That moment when you return to the forums to discover everything is different.
Puberty effects us all differently.
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well, since you cleared that up, I now have the opportunity to either delete my previous comment or look insane for all eternity.
There is only one logical choice here.
Whatever gets you through the day.
and i don't plan on taking it.
BTW's congrats on becoming an uncle there Limey. Keep Pulg away from the kid, he may be allergic.
You can tell the well-behaved students from the poorly-behaved ones just by sitting at a local restaurant and seeing which ones smile and wave when they see you...
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Coworker is now afraid of dust, so he's at the doctor getting a lung exam and to be fitted for a super duper dust mask.
Considering I'd have to go clean shaven if I did that I opted out of it.
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Coworker is now afraid of dust, so he's at the doctor getting a lung exam and to be fitted for a super duper dust mask.
Considering I'd have to go clean shaven if I did that I opted out of it.
I think it depends on what you're doing. When I had to pull the asbestos-infested linoleum out of the kitchen, I did the full bunny suit and dust mask in spite of reading all the research that the particular type of asbestos included in linoleum had never been shown to cause any problems.
When I started knocking all the plaster and drywall out of the garage to try to make it habitable for Impus Major (still not even halfway done with that particular project), the plaster generated so much dust that I was happy to have the dust mask. The drywall was clean enough I didn't. So it was a "dust mask on, dust mask off" project...
EDIT: And before LisaMarlene yells at me again about not hiring her handyman, it's a big, "Where the money comes from" issue. Yes, we have a $100,000 HELOC for home improvement. But any project we pay for out of that fund has to go to someone who is:
(a) Licensed by the state
(b) Licensed by the city
(c) Granted a work permit by the city to do the listed work.
Albany is notorious for disallowing garage-to-bedroom conversions, so as long as I do the work myself I don't need a permit (I got into an argument with a former city clerk about this, but state law said that "owner improvements" don't need permits, so if the city's requiring permits for owner improvements I think they're on shaky legal ground) and I don't have to pay for it out of the HELOC.
So until it gets hopeless, I don't want to have to try to fight the city to get permits...
I have some mild asthma, so I'll opt for a mask for those sorts of projects just to avoid an attack and keep things from potentially getting worse.
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We use a wet saw exclusively anyway, and I still use top end disposable masks on top of it.
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Coworker is now afraid of dust, so he's at the doctor getting a lung exam and to be fitted for a super duper dust mask.
Considering I'd have to go clean shaven if I did that I opted out of it.
I think it depends on what you're doing. When I had to pull the asbestos-infested linoleum out of the kitchen, I did the full bunny suit and dust mask in spite of reading all the research that the particular type of asbestos included in linoleum had never been shown to cause any problems.
When I started knocking all the plaster and drywall out of the garage to try to make it habitable for Impus Major (still not even halfway done with that particular project), the plaster generated so much dust that I was happy to have the dust mask. The drywall was clean enough I didn't. So it was a "dust mask on, dust mask off" project...
Doing work in a bunny suit must've been hot as hell...
Did I tell you about my turpentine allergy? I used to break out in hives if I touched that stuff.
Anyway public housing ballotted for, we'll just see how lucky we are...
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Doing work in a bunny suit must've been hot as hell...
Yes. It was amazingly miserable. If I ever have to do asbestos work again, I'm paying someone else to do it.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Coworker is now afraid of dust, so he's at the doctor getting a lung exam and to be fitted for a super duper dust mask.
Considering I'd have to go clean shaven if I did that I opted out of it.
I think it depends on what you're doing. When I had to pull the asbestos-infested linoleum out of the kitchen, I did the full bunny suit and dust mask in spite of reading all the research that the particular type of asbestos included in linoleum had never been shown to cause any problems.
When I started knocking all the plaster and drywall out of the garage to try to make it habitable for Impus Major (still not even halfway done with that particular project), the plaster generated so much dust that I was happy to have the dust mask. The drywall was clean enough I didn't. So it was a "dust mask on, dust mask off" project...
EDIT: And before LisaMarlene yells at me again about not hiring her handyman, it's a big, "Where the money comes from" issue. Yes, we have a $100,000 HELOC for home improvement. But any project we pay for out of that fund has to go to someone who is:
(a) Licensed by the state
(b) Licensed by the city
(c) Granted a work permit by the city to do the listed work.
Albany is notorious for disallowing garage-to-bedroom conversions, so as long as I do the work myself I don't need a permit (I got into an argument with a former city clerk about this, but state law said that "owner improvements" don't need permits, so if the city's requiring permits for owner improvements I think they're on shaky legal ground) and I don't have to pay for it out of the HELOC.So until it gets hopeless, I don't want to have to try to fight the city to get permits...
My Grandfather used to tell me that there was really only one type of asbestos to worry about, and that in his opinion the blanket ban on them was silly, as most of them have little to no drawbacks in usage. That said, I probably would've worn a mask myself, but I hate sucking in sawdust and other small particles anyway so...
We use a wet saw exclusively anyway, and I still use top end disposable masks on top of it.
Yeah, I'm just talking "pick something up at a hardware store" disposable mask. And the wet saw would really cut down on the particulate floating through the air. But plaster and drywall dust? Mask please.
Aiymi, Zelda, The Kids, and I are finally seeing Deadpool 2 tonight. Tuesday Movie Night, of course. Next week will be Solo.
Anyone want to take down a tree that's next to a power line from my front yard? Anyone want to take down 6 more after that?
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Only five missing final projects. The end is in sight.
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And as long as I have a couple of minutes, permitting is another one of those "intent of the law" vs. "how the law is enforced" things that drive me crazy.
I love permitting laws because I am living in a house where a previous owner did utterly incompetent, unpermitted work. Every time I open a wall I find a new horror story. I would absolutely, positively happily get permits for all of my work if all it was was:
"Here's what I want to do."
"OK. That'll be $120."
"OK. I'm done. Please inspect it."
"OK. Looks good. It's signed off."
Instead the entire process has been subverted into supporting political causes, the construction industry, the licensing industry, and so forth.
"Here's what I want to do."
"Nope. You're not a licensed electrician. You're not allowed to do that work."
"But I have a degree in physics from U.C. Berkeley, I've been building computers for 20 years now, and I'm actually planning on using higher-end components for every aspect of the circuit. Just have your guy inspect it at the end and he'll agree that it meets all modern coding standards."
"Nope. You don't have a license. Doesn't matter how well you do it. You're not allowed to."
...
"Well, can I at least drywall my garage?"
"Nope. We don't want people subletting rooms, so instead of making that illegal, we'll disallow any construction instead. So we're just going to deny any permits that would make the garage habitable, because we can."
Such attitudes turn most everyday homeowners into lawbreakers.
All I want is an insulated garage with lights and outlets. The city won't allow it because they suspect I may someday rent it out, so they make it illegal. And thus I'm a lawbreaker, even though I don't want to be one.
Feh.
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And thus the slow descent into anti-paladin begins...
DO IT.
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Tomorrow shall be interesting. All the kids are turning in their chromebooks and getting end-of-year checkout taken care of, which means we have to find something to keep them from climbing the walls. Since the librarian has declared a moratorium on book checkout so inventory can actually happen, silent reading day is out.
Heck with it. We're playing Pictionary.
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I did the full bunny suit
Okay, knowing nothing about home repair, I'm just going to enjoy this image.
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I was looking through some old Alias and found this one.
probably some quantum function of the universe being interconnected ya know?
And as long as I have a couple of minutes, permitting is another one of those "intent of the law" vs. "how the law is enforced" things that drive me crazy.
I love permitting laws because I am living in a house where a previous owner did utterly incompetent, unpermitted work. Every time I open a wall I find a new horror story. I would absolutely, positively happily get permits for all of my work if all it was was:
"Here's what I want to do."
"OK. That'll be $120."
"OK. I'm done. Please inspect it."
"OK. Looks good. It's signed off."Instead the entire process has been subverted into supporting political causes, the construction industry, the licensing industry, and so forth.
"Here's what I want to do."
"Nope. You're not a licensed electrician. You're not allowed to do that work."
"But I have a degree in physics from U.C. Berkeley, I've been building computers for 20 years now, and I'm actually planning on using higher-end components for every aspect of the circuit. Just have your guy inspect it at the end and he'll agree that it meets all modern coding standards."
"Nope. You don't have a license. Doesn't matter how well you do it. You're not allowed to."
...
"Well, can I at least drywall my garage?"
"Nope. We don't want people subletting rooms, so instead of making that illegal, we'll disallow any construction instead. So we're just going to deny any permits that would make the garage habitable, because we can."Such attitudes turn most everyday homeowners into lawbreakers.
All I want is an insulated garage with lights and outlets. The city won't allow it because they suspect I may someday rent it out, so they make it illegal. And thus I'm a lawbreaker, even though I don't want to be one.
Feh.
We're in largely the same boat with our plumbing. It was redone by the previous owners, it's nowhere close to code, and every plumber we've brought in to look at it says "I can't even fix the really bad parts to make them better without replacing everything because of the code issues." And to bring the plumbing up to code is going to cost between $5-10k.
They also did a terrible job on the retaining walls for the driveway (CY has seen pictures of that). They used untreated lumber, didn't anchor it well, and therefore what isn't rotting away before my very eyes is leaning inwards. We've taken the very first steps in getting ready to redo that nightmare, but again, it's probably a $5k project.
Oh, and the previous owner planted ivy everywhere. For three years we've been ripping out ivy. That stuff just doesn't ever die.
We're looking at probably selling this house in the next year or two, so we're not really wanting to take out a home equity loan to pay for this stuff.
Tomorrow shall be interesting. All the kids are turning in their chromebooks and getting end-of-year checkout taken care of, which means we have to find something to keep them from climbing the walls. Since the librarian has declared a moratorium on book checkout so inventory can actually happen, silent reading day is out.
Heck with it. We're playing Pictionary.
I vote for breaking them up into small groups for Pathfinder one-shot modules. I don't care if they don't know how to play. They can make up the rules as they go along for end-of-year purposes. Call it a team-building exercise.
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And as long as I have a couple of minutes, permitting is another one of those "intent of the law" vs. "how the law is enforced" things that drive me crazy.
I love permitting laws because I am living in a house where a previous owner did utterly incompetent, unpermitted work. Every time I open a wall I find a new horror story. I would absolutely, positively happily get permits for all of my work if all it was was:
"Here's what I want to do."
"OK. That'll be $120."
"OK. I'm done. Please inspect it."
"OK. Looks good. It's signed off."Instead the entire process has been subverted into supporting political causes, the construction industry, the licensing industry, and so forth.
"Here's what I want to do."
"Nope. You're not a licensed electrician. You're not allowed to do that work."
"But I have a degree in physics from U.C. Berkeley, I've been building computers for 20 years now, and I'm actually planning on using higher-end components for every aspect of the circuit. Just have your guy inspect it at the end and he'll agree that it meets all modern coding standards."
"Nope. You don't have a license. Doesn't matter how well you do it. You're not allowed to."
...
"Well, can I at least drywall my garage?"
"Nope. We don't want people subletting rooms, so instead of making that illegal, we'll disallow any construction instead. So we're just going to deny any permits that would make the garage habitable, because we can."Such attitudes turn most everyday homeowners into lawbreakers.
All I want is an insulated garage with lights and outlets. The city won't allow it because they suspect I may someday rent it out, so they make it illegal. And thus I'm a lawbreaker, even though I don't want to be one.
Feh.
I'm guessing why it's that way is because the construction workers have a strong union and if everyone did their own stuff, they'd be out of a job.
Also, what if the stuff you're doing is so complicated they do not understand how it works? How would they then be able to vet for safety?
And let's say someone less ethical starts tinkering with his house. It collapses and falls on the Amazon delivery guy. Who's going to pay for damages?
Also, theory and practical are two different stories. I watched the YouTube video on how to open a wine bottle with a spoon, so I know the theory. The practical part was an epic fail for me.
We're in largely the same boat with our plumbing. It was redone by the previous owners, it's nowhere close to code, and every plumber we've brought in to look at it says "I can't even fix the really bad parts to make them better without replacing everything because of the code issues." And to bring the plumbing up to code is going to cost between $5-10k.
They also did a terrible job on the retaining walls for the driveway (CY has seen pictures of that). They used untreated lumber, didn't anchor it well, and therefore what isn't rotting away before my very eyes is leaning inwards. We've taken the very first steps in getting ready to redo that nightmare, but again, it's probably a $5k project.
Oh, and the previous owner planted ivy everywhere. For three years we've been ripping out ivy. That stuff just doesn't ever die.
We're looking at probably selling this house in the next year or two, so we're not really wanting to take out a home equity loan to pay for this stuff.
Well, *my* issue isn't money, it's the gross incompetence prevalent in the industry:
So whether or not I have the money is irrelevant; I can't get a permit to do the work unless I hire someone who I *know* will do substandard work, or unless I have the work done as an "add-on" to another major project. And most of the "good" contractors consider things like rewiring, insulating, and drywalling a garage to be "beneath" them.
So Feh a second time.
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We're in largely the same boat with our plumbing. It was redone by the previous owners, it's nowhere close to code, and every plumber we've brought in to look at it says "I can't even fix the really bad parts to make them better without replacing everything because of the code issues." And to bring the plumbing up to code is going to cost between $5-10k.
They also did a terrible job on the retaining walls for the driveway (CY has seen pictures of that). They used untreated lumber, didn't anchor it well, and therefore what isn't rotting away before my very eyes is leaning inwards. We've taken the very first steps in getting ready to redo that nightmare, but again, it's probably a $5k project.
Oh, and the previous owner planted ivy everywhere. For three years we've been ripping out ivy. That stuff just doesn't ever die.
We're looking at probably selling this house in the next year or two, so we're not really wanting to take out a home equity loan to pay for this stuff.
Well, *my* issue isn't money, it's the gross incompetence prevalent in the industry:
I trust myself or LisaMarlene's handyman to do a decent job
The city will not grant a permit to either of us to do the work, period. As Mort said, I suspect it's due to union lobbying at the state level
*EVERY* licensed contractor I've ever hired has either been uninterested in jobs under $20k, or has been so horrifically incompetent that the work has fallen apart within 5 years
So whether or not I have the money is irrelevant; I can't get a permit to do the work unless I hire someone who I *know* will do substandard work, or unless I have the work done as an "add-on" to another major project. And most of the "good" contractors consider things like rewiring, insulating, and drywalling a garage to be "beneath" them.So Feh a second time.
Do you own your home?
I don't know how it works there, but they shouldn't really be able to do anything, or complain if you are altering property you own.| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Anyone wishing to admire the UK's transport system should probably leave it until Northern Rail's bolloxing up of the timetable change has been reversed. Bah.
>_>
<_<
Japanese train company issues official apology for 25-second early departure
Any more wounds needing salt?
Do you own your home?
I don't know how it works there, but they shouldn't really be able to do anything, or complain if you are...
Permits are an issue here too, for the very same reasons. The previous owner of our house was a retired contractor, so we thought certain things were done correctly but when we started investigating, well, not so much. And then problems started cropping up.
As far as whether or not the city/county/state can complain about changes done to a house by the owner...well...yeah, depending on where you live and what changes you're making, they absolutely can. It's very much subject to local laws more than at the state level, but it's also subject to what neighborhood you live in. Certain neighborhoods have additional by-laws describing exactly what you can and cannot have added to your yard, what colors you can and cannot paint your house, etc, etc, etc. In the neighborhood my dad lived in Indiana, he had to get his neighbors' approvals for building a deck on the back of his house (had to provide the plans to his neighbors, they had to sign off on it, etc), and the city laws stated it could not be permanently attached to the house because of the difference between "permanent structures" and "mobile structures". So even though he sunk the posts 6' into the ground, he attached it to the house with wood screws that were completely removable, therefore it was not considered a permanent structure and the city was satisfied.
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Congrats to Uncle Longears!
Welcome back, Game Hamster!
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Had my fourth interview with the school in Dallas this morning, and I now have an offer and a contract sitting in my inbox waiting for a decision.
Technically 3k annually less than my current base salary, but for fewer hours and a lot less work, responsibility and stress (just teacher. Not director, not admissions, etc.). Plus tuition is half of our current school, so it means more money in my paycheck.
I want to accept, but it's a family decision.
Welcome back, Game Hamster!
Thanks
I'm celebrating by watching a new Doki Doki Literature Club play through....
Actually I'm just doing that for fun.
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Had my fourth interview with the school in Dallas this morning, and I now have an offer and a contract sitting in my inbox waiting for a decision.
Technically 3k annually less than my current base salary, but for fewer hours and a lot less work, responsibility and stress (just teacher. Not director, not admissions, etc.). Plus tuition is half of our current school, so it means more money in my paycheck.
I want to accept, but it's a family decision.
Also lower cost of living, from what you said!
Do you own your home?
I don't know how it works there, but they shouldn't really be able to do anything, or complain if you are...Permits are an issue here too, for the very same reasons. The previous owner of our house was a retired contractor, so we thought certain things were done correctly but when we started investigating, well, not so much. And then problems started cropping up.
As far as whether or not the city/county/state can complain about changes done to a house by the owner...well...yeah, depending on where you live and what changes you're making, they absolutely can. It's very much subject to local laws more than at the state level, but it's also subject to what neighborhood you live in. Certain neighborhoods have additional by-laws describing exactly what you can and cannot have added to your yard, what colors you can and cannot paint your house, etc, etc, etc. In the neighborhood my dad lived in Indiana, he had to get his neighbors' approvals for building a deck on the back of his house (had to provide the plans to his neighbors, they had to sign off on it, etc), and the city laws stated it could not be permanently attached to the house because of the difference between "permanent structures" and "mobile structures". So even though he sunk the posts 6' into the ground, he attached it to the house with wood screws that were completely removable, therefore it was not considered a permanent structure and the city was satisfied.
I can understand the principle of needing a house code, especially in cities where a fire or something could spread rapidly, but denying a permit to a house owner on the grounds of not being a professional seems a bit illegal here in the US.
It would be a bit like saying you can't change your car wheel or brakes if you aren't a professional mechanic
Had my fourth interview with the school in Dallas this morning, and I now have an offer and a contract sitting in my inbox waiting for a decision.
Technically 3k annually less than my current base salary, but for fewer hours and a lot less work, responsibility and stress (just teacher. Not director, not admissions, etc.). Plus tuition is half of our current school, so it means more money in my paycheck.
I want to accept, but it's a family decision.
Plus, of course, it's in Dallas, which is another demerit. ;)
And housing costs, as you mentioned, are much lower there than the Bay Area.
Do you own your home?
I don't know how it works there, but they shouldn't really be able to do anything, or complain if you are altering property you own.
Think the massive earthquakes or fires in third-world countries that kill tens of thousands.
Building codes exist for our own protection, to ensure such things don't happen in the U.S.
My complaint is that I cannot get a permit even if I build to code and have my work inspected.
I can understand the principle of needing a house code, especially in cities where a fire or something could spread rapidly, but denying a permit to a house owner on the grounds of not being a professional seems a bit illegal here in the US.
It would be a bit like saying you can't change your car wheel or brakes if you aren't a professional mechanic
Think "lawyer".
"Oh, yes. It's perfectly legal for you to change your brakes. You just need to apply for this permit."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Your permit was denied. No, we don't have an explanation. If you want, you can file an appeal and we'll get to it in 6 months."
Banning through red tape, rather than legal grounds.
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Do you own your home?
I don't know how it works there, but they shouldn't really be able to do anything, or complain if you are altering property you own.Think the massive earthquakes or fires in third-world countries that kill tens of thousands.
Building codes exist for our own protection, to ensure such things don't happen in the U.S.
My complaint is that I cannot get a permit even if I build to code and have my work inspected.
I understand building codes, sorry, worded poorly, hopefully my just-previous post clears it up.