Another thing that makes a difference is the material the lenses are made from, and its index of refraction. Very high index plastics are popular now, because they allow for a thinner lens for strong prescriptions. They also cause a lot more distortion at the edges, what you might describe as the “fishbowl effect.”…

Non sales retail > food service > sales retail

Oh, I’m not a film school guy, I’m a software developer. I just thought I remembered seeing that criticism before. I agree with you that it’s a silly way of thinking.

Whew, quite a mix there. I think I expected more a bit more universal list, but some of these are probably green flags for a more niche group of people.

I used to think my wife and I had a shot at winning “married the longest” at our high school reunion. But I discovered there is a couple who must have gotten married when she was a freshman or something, because I only ever knew her with her married name! Dunno if it was a shotgun wedding or what. They would have had…

~140hp pushing 2700lbs was above average for a base level car at the time

rant on about whatever person or thing had wronged him that day

Since you mentioned sumac, I just discovered that spice a couple of years ago when visiting my daughter who is currently living overseas in the Caucuses. I came home (Illinois) and found some wild sumac and processed it to make my own sumac spice. It’s so good on meats, especially lamb and chicken. I made some grilled…

That top pic is the animatronic Yul Brynner, right?

That happened once to my wife and I. We were already done having kids and only using it because it was one of those novelty ones. (Note: you might as well skip them, “The novelty condoms—they do nothing!”) I think it broke, and neither of us could, uh, find it in there. Finally she got it out a couple of days later.

My wife’s mom died in October. It wasn’t unexpected, since she was 90 and in increasingly poor health. We had moved my in-laws in with us last year, because they were at a point where they couldn’t really live alone and take care of themselves. She died at our house, with family around. The circumstances were about as…

Like you, I find myself returning to solitaire, although the type of solitaire sometimes changes. It’s still the most mindless yet satisfying game I’ve found. Years ago I was playing a lot of Yukon solitaire, but when I got a new phone I couldn’t find a version of Yukon that suited me and played the way I wanted it…

Yes, I think you’re right. I’m a software developer and not a chemist. :-) Although my first job out of college was at a large chemical company.

Is a “hot dog party” like a sausage fest?

There’s also Locked Folders in Google Photos on Pixel phones.

Aflatoxins are produced by mold and are always a risk in stored grains. I’m sure they sample and test, but some pockets of affected grain must have slipped through the process. My dad spent almost his entire career as a chemist specializing in agriculture and animal toxins. I remember him talking about testing for…

I saw Cats at the Winter Garden in the early 90s, and it was a weird, wonderful, fun time. I loved it. I have appreciation for the actual musical. The movie version was essentially the same musical, but it mostly just wasn’t very well done. But keep in mind that I’m a person who has seen all the Sharknado movies, and…

You know the old saying, “It’s not the size of the jar, it’s the quickle of your pickle.”

I’m in rural Illinois, so we have only have *a* coffee shop. Luckily, it’s a really awesome one! Truly some of the best coffee I’ve ever had, from a roaster in St. Louis. Although there’s some turnover in baristas, I get a cappuccino there every morning, so they know me and I don’t normally even need to order. I…

A couple of months ago I saw this little(ish) bird, and initially I thought it was a fledgling robin. But when I got closer, I could see it was clearly some kind of raptor. It’s a young kestrel, North America’s smallest falcon. I didn’t even know we had falcons in this area, but it was neat to see this one.