9

Issues Of The Environment: Making The Environment A Priority In Michigan's Budget

Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently released the latest Michigan state budget, and it includes funding for a number of environmental programs. And, it builds on the initiatives launched in her first budget cycle as governor. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks over environmental priorities, progress, and challenges with State Senator Jeff Irwin.




9

Issues Of The Environment: Chemical Impacts In Fighting The Spread Of COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has lead to major changes for homes and businesses, including more frequent use of chemicals and disinfectants. While they do help, some can be dangerous to human health and the environment. Professor John Meeker , senior associate dean for research at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, spoke with WEMU's David Fair about how best to safely use these products on "Issues of the Environment."




9

Issues Of The Environment: COVID-19, Chemicals, And The Ann Arbor Municipal Water Supply

Maintaining water service and safety remains an essential service during Governor Whitmer's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" executive order. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks with the manager of Ann Arbor's water treatment services, Brian Steglitz, about managing the system to filter out virus and chemical contamination.




9

Issues Of The Environment: Properly Disposing Of PPEs And Other Waste During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Centers for Disease Control continues to recommend wearing gloves and masks while in public. More and more people are following recommended guidelines. However, getting rid of those personal protective equipment (PPE) items is often being done improperly. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks with Washtenaw County Public Works manager Theo Eggermont about proper disposal to protect public health and the environment.




9

Issues Of The Environment: Earth Day Celebrates 50 Years! Part 2 - Looking Ahead During COVID-19

Today marks the 50th Earth Day in the United States, which traces its origins to Ann Arbor. Normally, there would have been a huge celebration, but the coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to that. For Part 2 of a special, Earth Day edition of "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair spoke with Jonathan Overpeck, dean of the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability. They discuss an online celebration of Earth Day and look ahead to what the future may hold.




9

Issues Of The Environment: COVID-19 Brings Major Disruptions To Food Production And Supply

Food production has been seriously disrupted to the coronavirus pandemic. It has forced producers, including dairy farmers, to dispose of more of their supplies, which has led to more food waste. Joe Diglio, president/CEO of the Michigan Milk Producers Association, has a conversation with WEMU's David Fair about how the problems are being addressed in this week's "Issues of the Environment."




9

I need to watch 9 different channels.

I need 9 TV tuners so I can display 9 different over the air TV channels on 9 separate screens. 9 TVs is not an option. Output resolution is not at all critical. What is the cheapest solution you can come up with?




9

iOS DND doesn't work all the time; howto?

For latest iOS: If I'm actively using my phone, DND doesn't seem to work -- this is annoying when I'm trying to get lost in a book, long article, etc. Is there a way to force all incoming texts to obey DND at all times?




9

Living in purgatory, covid-19 edition

I had always expected that the coronavirus situation would get worse before it got better. Now that is more clear. I am in the USA, where most states are opening up before seeing a decline in cases. And news sources are saying that we can expect, at best, a "slow burn" of more cases for a few years. So how do we live like this? What are reasonable precautions to live under for a few years? What are good guidelines?

My county seems to have plateaued. My sister and my dad live in the same town I do. He is 80 years old. I expect they are still seeing each other. They are being prudent now, but who knows what they will do as restrictions loosen. Should I see them again? Under what conditions?

My 90-year-old mother-in-law lives in the independent level of a continuing-care retirement community about eight hours away, in a state with more cases. Visitors haven't been allowed for a while, which is sensible. But my wife is worried she will never get to see her mother again.

I might be able to work from home indefinitely. But I worry that my wife will not. Even if she gets unemployment, that will run out at some point, and options for other jobs are limited.

I am politically active and also had hoped to volunteer with direct services to help people. But my wife has high risk factors, and it seems like the risk of infection will just increase.

How can prudent people best live our lives in the next few years? Without going stir-crazy, etc.




9

Substitutions, Covid-19 edition

When a microbiology lab in Sweden was about to run out of swabs for coronavirus test kits, some folks there realized they had many chlamydia swabs in stock. The lab tried using those swabs instead. The substitute swabs worked. Does anyone have other examples of successful substitutions for important equipment and supplies (including clothing and personal protective equipment, PPE) needed for anything related to responding to the pandemic OR that could be applied to responding to the pandemic? The lab bought thousands more chlamydia test swabs and is trying to spread the word about this effective substitute (link to Swedish article). I am looking for other examples of ingenuity and resourcefulness in these challenging times. It would be awesome if you have a source for your example but is totally fine if you do not.




9

Google Photos: Backup but don't download?

I use Google Photos on my Android phone to back up my photos and videos to the cloud. As I have been known to occasionaly loose my phone I really like this feature. But, I can't find an option to not download photos back to my phone. The result is that as soon as I enable backup&sync ALL my photos get downloaded and my storage is full. I would like to have only backup and no sync. Is there a solution for that besides using another app?




9

I have two new N-95 masks. Ok to use them or not?

My husband and I were given two N-95 masks by the wife of a (retired) doctor from church when C19 was barely making headlines. She said he had a couple of boxes from his practice. Is it legal for us to use them if we *must* go out? I am immunocompromised, if that makes any difference. My husband is not. I understand the moral argument for not using them. Is it worth taking just two to drop off at a medical office or hospital? We are in a mid-sized city in the southeast, not a big city like NYC.

Your thoughts are appreciated.




9

Seen 'Plandemic'? We Take A Close Look At The Viral Conspiracy Video's Claims

A slickly produced 26-minute video called Plandemic has exploded on social media in recent days, claiming to present a view of COVID-19 that differs from the "official" narrative. The video has been viewed millions of times on YouTube via links that are replaced as quickly as the video-sharing service can remove them for violating its policy against "COVID-19 misinformation." In it, filmmaker Mikki Willis conducts an uncritical interview with Judy Mikovits, who he says has been called "one of the most accomplished scientists of her generation." Never heard of her? You're not alone. Two prominent scientists with backgrounds in AIDS research and infectious diseases, who asked not to be identified over concerns of facing a backlash on social media, told NPR that they did not know who she was. If you were aware of Mikovits before this week, it is probably for two books she published with co-author Kent Heckenlively, one in 2017 and another last month. Heckenlively has also written a book




9

V-E Day: Europe Celebrates A Subdued 75th Anniversary During COVID-19 Pandemic

Updated at 5:02 p.m. ET It was supposed to be a day of parades, a vast party that would transcend borders and bring generations together, not unlike the spontaneous euphoria that swept through victorious European allies when Nazi Germany finally surrendered. But instead of a mega-event, leaders in London, Paris, Moscow and other capitals, observed the 75th anniversary of V-E Day at a diminished level Friday due to the COVID-19 pandemic. French President Emmanuel Macron led a small ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, looking out over an empty Champs-Élysées. A 93-year-old veteran of World War II observes a moment of silence at the Cenotaph war memorial in London, where British residents — like much of Europe — marked a subdued 75th anniversary of V-E Day. Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP via Getty Images Because of health risks the disease poses to older people, many veterans of the war were forced to avoid travel and keep their distance at public gatherings. "The veterans are of course getting




9

More Census Workers To Return To Rural Areas In 9 States To Leave Forms

The Census Bureau says it is continuing the gradual relaunch of limited field operations for the 2020 census next week in nine states where the coronavirus pandemic forced the hand-delivery of paper forms in rural areas to be suspended in mid-March. On May 13, some local census offices in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington are scheduled to restart that fieldwork, according to an updated schedule the bureau published on its website Friday. All workers are expected to be trained in CDC guidance in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and besides a new reusable face mask for every 10 days worked and a pair of gloves for each work day, the bureau has ordered 2 ounces of hand sanitizer for each census worker conducting field operations, the bureau tells NPR in an email. The announcement means more households that receive their mail at post office boxes or drop points are expected to find paper questionnaires left outside their




9

Haitian Doctor Says This Is The Worst Epidemic He's Faced

The Pan American Health Organization this week warned of an impending humanitarian crisis in Haiti due to the coronavirus pandemic. Haiti has reported relatively few cases of COVID-19 but it shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, which is experiencing one of the worst outbreaks in the hemisphere. With the Dominican Republic under lockdown, thousands of laid off migrant workers have headed home to Haiti and presumably some of them are carrying the virus with them. "There is real danger of a large-scale outbreak followed by a humanitarian crisis in Haiti," said Carissa Etienne, the head of PAHO, in a briefing this week with reporters. She said Haiti's health-care system is ill-equipped to deal with an outbreak of a highly-infectious, potentially-fatal respiratory disease. And the measures used elsewhere to stem the spread of COVID-19 are impractical or impossible in Haiti. "It is extremely difficult to institute proper social distancing in Haiti," she said —




9

How Can Meatpacking Plants Adapt To The Threat Of COVID-19?

Meatpacking plants are hotspots for the coronavirus, with workers elbow-to-elbow as animals are processed on a conveyor belt. So, how can these factories be adapted to keep workers healthy?




9

Opinion: Endangered Bird Couple Returns To Chicago's Shore

Monty and Rose met last year on a beach on the north side of Chicago. Their attraction was intense, immediate, and you might say, fruitful. Somewhere between the roll of lake waves and the shimmer of skyscrapers overlooking the beach, Monty and Rose fledged two chicks. They protected their offspring through formative times. But then, in fulfillment of nature's plan, they parted ways, and left the chicks to make their own ways in the world. Monty and Rose are piping plovers, an endangered species of bird of which there may only be 6,000 or 7,000 in the world, including Monty, Rose and their chicks. They were the first piping plovers to nest in Chicago in more than 60 years. After their chicks fledged, they drifted apart. Rose went off to Florida for the winter, and Monty made his way to the Texas coast. They'd always have the North Side, but were each on their own in a huge, fraught world. And then, just a few days ago, Monty and Rose were sighted again, on the same patch of sand on




9

So, You're Not Talking Much In Quarantine. Here's How To Keep Your Voice Healthy

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.




9

U.K. Airlines, Airports Fear 'Devastating Impact' Of Possible Quarantine Rules

Airlines and airport operators in the United Kingdom are not waiting for the British government to publicly confirm their fears. Already, the groups representing major players in the U.K.'s air travel industry are pushing back on a proposal that would require travelers to quarantine after arriving from outside the country. A spokesperson for Airlines UK — a trade body with British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair as members — says the group understands from government officials that plans for a quarantine are in the works, but that details remain scarce at the moment. "We need to see the detail of what they are proposing. Public health must of course be the priority and we will continue to be guided by Sage advice," the group said in a statement emailed to NPR, noting that support measures will be necessary to ensure "that we still have a UK aviation sector once the quarantine period is lifted." "We will be asking for assurances that this decision has been led by the science and that




9

A Sudden Shift: How COVID-19 Changed the World

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit our world, it has turned many things upside down. Does this mark the beginning of the final events of earth’s history? What are the prophetic implications of this event? Join us for a 90 minute live discussion with Pastor Doug Batchelor and Pastor Jëan Ross.


[YOUTUBE-HERE]




9

Deke's Techniques

This course is a collection of short Photoshop and Illustrator projects and creative effects that can be completed in ten minutes or less. The series is taught by computer graphics guru Deke McClelland, and presented in his signature step-by-step style. The intent is to reveal how various Photoshop and Illustrator features can be combined and leveraged in real-world examples so that they can be applied to creative projects right away.

Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.





9

Etc: Portland Covid-19 Mutual Aid

Wondering how you can help? Portland COVID-19 Mutual Aid is a great resource. You can fill out this form to offer support. If you are in need of food or other supplies, please fill out this form to request support. They are prioritizing assistance to folks who are sick, unhoused, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, trans, and/or queer, including those displaced from Portland to the nearby areas. Follow @pdxcovid19mutualaid on Instagram for updates and reach out to pdxcovid19mutualaid@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Description is a copy-paste from Alberta Cooperative Grocery newsletter, the actual mutual aid is being organized by a neighbor of mine. As of yesterday, it had been up for 2 days and had 2000 offers and 100 requests. Good thing she is good at coordinating volunteer coordinators! Here is the more direct short link to both forms.

Thu April 30 at 8:00 PM, Everywhere




9

Rebel Historian Who Reframes History Receives MacArthur 'Genius' Grant

While Kelly Lytle Hernández was growing up in San Diego near the U.S.-Mexico border in the late 1980s and early '90s, she watched as people from her community, friends and neighbors, disappeared: Black youths disappeared into the prison system; Mexican immigrants disappeared through deportations. These experiences affected her deeply. "It was growing up in that environment that forced me to want to understand what was happening to us and why it seemed legitimate," Lytle Hernández tells All Things Considered . "And I wanted to disrupt that legitimacy." For answers to those questions, Lytle Hernández turned to the past. A historian and expert on immigration, race and mass incarceration, she is now a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and is one of this year's 26 MacArthur Fellows . "History is a narrative of the past. It is based upon the sources that we regard as relevant or that we can find," she says. And so her work includes tracking down records that reflect




9

South Carolina Sheriff's Candidate: I Wore Blackface 10 Years Ago

The nearly four-minute campaign ad begins with scenery of a small town sheriff's race in the South. A camouflage fishing boat winds down a picturesque waterway. The talk from a front porch rocking chair is of hunting, Christian values and guns. Then, more than halfway through the video, Craig Stivender, a Republican candidate for sheriff in Colleton County, S.C., reveals a picture of himself in blackface with his arm around an African American woman. "To those of you who may be upset, I understand your disappointment," he says in the video. Stivender, who is currently a fireman in the rural community just west of Charleston, goes on to explain the photograph was taken at a Halloween party for law enforcement nearly a decade ago. He says he released the picture to begin his campaign with full transparency. The election is in November 2020. "Basically if I'm going to run on honesty and integrity, I'm willing to put out things bad about me," he said in a telephone interview. Stivender




9

Fort Worth Officer Kills Woman In Her Bedroom In Response To 'Open Structure Call'

A white police officer fired through the window of a black woman's home early Saturday and killed her after responding to a call that a neighbor placed about an open front door, authorities in Fort Worth, Texas, say. Around 2:25 a.m., officers responded to an "open structure call" made by a neighbor to the police department's nonemergency number. Inside the home, Atatiana Jefferson, 28, and her 8-year-old nephew were playing video games. Body camera footage released by the police shows the officer outside the home, looking into Jefferson's bedroom window and shouting, "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!" before firing a single bullet that killed Jefferson. Kyev Tatum, a pastor and community activist who was on the scene shortly after the shooting, told NPR that the neighbor who called the police was worried about the welfare of Jefferson. He said Jefferson may have had her front door open for a reason. "This was probably one of the first days that we had cool weather in Fort Worth.




9

Fort Worth Interim Police Chief 'Deeply Sorry' For Fatal Shooting

Updated at 8:11 p.m. ET The interim chief of the Fort Worth Police Department apologized on Tuesday to the family of Atatiana Jefferson in the aftermath of her fatal shooting by a police officer while she was in her home. "This incident has eroded the trust that we have built with our community and we must now work even harder to ensure that trust is restored," said Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus. Aaron Dean, the officer who shot Jefferson, resigned from the department and has been charged with murder . Kraus said that there is "absolutely no excuse" for the incident and that Dean will be held responsible for his actions. He asked the Fort Worth community to not allow the incident to reflect poorly on the entire police department. "The officers are hurting," he said. "They try hard every day to try to make this city better." Jefferson's family is calling for an independent investigation so that the Fort Worth Police Department is not investigating itself. The mayor told NPR she




9

Coaxing Cops To Tackle Cybercrime? There's An App For That

Cybercrime is booming, and victims are often at a loss about where to get help. In theory, Americans should report the crimes to the FBI, via its Internet Crime Complaint Center . In practice, the feds get hundreds of thousands of complaints a year, and have to focus on the biggest cases. But the other option, calling the police, can seem even less promising. "They didn't even respond," says Gregg Bennett, whose loss of 100 Bitcoin was described in an earlier NPR story about SIM-swap scams . He says he called his city's police department soon after discovering the theft, but concluded it was a dead end. "They have no ability to look up something like this," Bennett says. "It certainly is not local — this is not a local issue." It's conventional wisdom that cybercrime is too technical and too international for local police to handle. But as daily life becomes more digital, so does everyday crime, and some police say they can no longer avoid wading into the world of phone spoofers,




9

Police Offering Drug Recovery Help: 'We Can't Arrest Our Way Out Of This Problem'

Emily Ligawiec has to sign in visitors to the recovery program she attends in a grand Victorian house in Holyoke, Mass. She can't bring people to her room. She only recently earned phone and car privileges. "We get 24, 48, 72-hour passes every weekend," she said. But Ligawiec doesn't mind the restrictions. The 29-year-old is grateful she's alive to follow them, after a decade of addiction — first to prescription painkillers, then pills she bought in the street, then heroin. "I had gone down a pretty dark path," she said. What finally turned her around was a 911 call last winter. She had gotten high on heroin and stolen her mother's car. When she returned it a few hours later, Officer John Cacela of Ware, Mass., was waiting in the driveway. In the past, Cacela might have immediately read Ligawiec her rights, "because for the longest time, the whole idea was — arrest, arrest," he said. Instead, he tapped on the car window and assured her she wasn't in trouble. "I closed the window on him




9

Trump Administration Targets Your 'Warrant-Proof' Encrypted Messages

The Trump administration has revived the debate over "end-to-end encryption" — systems so secure that the tech companies themselves aren't able to read the messages, even when police present them with a warrant. "It is hard to overstate how perilous this is," U.S. Attorney General William Barr said in a speech last fall. "By enabling dangerous criminals to cloak their communications and activities behind an essentially impenetrable digital shield, the deployment of warrant-proof encryption is already imposing huge costs on society." Barr has been concerned about this for years, but he has become more vocal recently as encryption goes mainstream. It's now built into popular services such as Skype and WhatsApp, and even Facebook may soon be encrypted . Republican senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham recently floated legislation that would strip tech companies of their liability protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act unless they comply with as-of-yet undefined




9

Senator Asks FTC To Investigate Zoom's 'Deceptive' Security Claims

A powerful Senate Democrat is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Zoom for deceptive practices, adding to the growing chorus of concerns over the popular video chat software's privacy and security flaws . Several state attorneys general are also probing Zoom, after users, including government officials, reported harassment, known as "Zoombombing," on the platform. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the ranking member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, sent a letter Friday to the FTC. In the letter , obtained by NPR, Brown said Zoom had made "deceptive" claims to users that their communications would remain private. Brown said Zoom incorrectly suggested its service offered end-to-end data encryption, which means that communications couldn't be accessed by anyone other than the sender and the recipient at any point. Zoom walked back on Wednesday its claim of end-to-end encryption. In a statement, it said, "While we never intended to deceive any of our customers, we




9

Indian Police Force Tourists Violating Lockdown To Write 'I Am Very Sorry' 500 Times

Indian police have the unenviable task of enforcing the world's biggest coronavirus lockdown . But last weekend, they handed down a punishment more common in a middle-school classroom than a police station. Ten foreign tourists caught flouting India's coronavirus restrictions Saturday were made to write the phrase "I did not follow the rules of lockdown. I am very sorry" 500 times and submit the paper to police. The incident happened at a sandy beach along the Ganges River near Rishikesh, a tourist hub in northern India famous for yoga retreats and hippie hangouts. It's where the Beatles made a spiritual pilgrimage in 1968. An officer who answered the phone Monday at the Muni Ki Reti police station near Rishikesh confirmed details to NPR, but declined an interview. The tourists were reportedly from Israel, Mexico, Australia and Austria, and were walking along the river when Indian police intervened. Under India's lockdown, all nonessential outings are banned. Video shared online by




9

Das sind die besten Indexfonds für die Nach-Corona-Ära

Gerade Anlegern bietet die epochale Pandemie einmalige Chancen: Sie können sich neu am Markt positionieren. Dafür müssen Sie nicht mal einzelne Aktien kaufen. ETFs spielen die Rendite von allein ein. Diese neun Indexfonds bieten die besten Chancen.




9

299 by erikgrande

Rock song about a pizza buffet Notify Dave Grohl's next of kin.




9

cover of Freedom '90 by George Michael by nayantara

I've been working on a musical collaboration with a fellow musician friend of mine during these crazy coronavirus times, in hopes of generating something fun and creative while we have all this spare time not working or gigging. Here's the second song from that collaboration.




9

I'll race you! by AxelT

Foot race? Bikes? Horses? It don't matter none, 'cuz it's on! The covid-19 isolation recommendations combined with the thin walls of this apartment makes singing and playing live instruments inappropriate. But fake instrument instrumentals are fun too!




9

Eine abenteuerliche Odyssee in der Ägäis

Die Haare im Wind, salzige Luft in der Nase, immer nah am Wasser: Eine Segelkreuzfahrt durch die Inselwelt der Kykladen ist ein Erlebnis. Zur echten Herausforderung wird sie, wenn der Meltemi in Sturmstärke bläst.




9

Universal Audio Releases UAD v9.1 + New Plugins

Universal Audio releases UAD Software v9.1 along with five new plugins for Apollo Audio Interfaces and UAD Accelerators.

/files/2017/03/UAD-9-1-Thumb.jpg

The post Universal Audio Releases UAD v9.1 + New Plugins appeared first on Dubspot Blog.




9

Universal Audio Releases UAD v9.2 + New Plugins

Universal Audio releases UAD Software v9.2 along with five new plugins for Apollo Audio Interfaces and UAD Accelerators.

/files/2017/05/UAD_v92_Thumb.jpg

The post Universal Audio Releases UAD v9.2 + New Plugins appeared first on Dubspot Blog.




9

What's eatin', you?

You know what's weird right now? Besides, like, everything? Food. Lots of routines are disrupted, lots of supply lines and food-sourcing habits have gotten all sideways. So: what's going on with your fooding? How's the whole eating thing? Any happy discoveries or rediscoveries? Any weird surprises? Any big shortage headaches? Any horrible cooking failures? Snacking surprises? Foodly frustrations? Can you buy literally any yeast? Get it out, let's talk all kinds of food stuff, let's do a whole roundup of where everybody's at.




9

Metatalktail Hour: what's growing?

Happy weekend, Mefites! This weekend jessamyn says: What's growing? Your garden? Your kids? Your hair? Your aggravation at your friends and neighbors? Your "What I'm gonna do when this is over" list? Your dream journal. Let's talk about growth!

As always this is a conversation starter, not limiter; feel free to let us know about non-growth things that're on your mind too. Just no politics please.




9

MST Club: Joel's chatriff thing

As foretold in prophecy, at 6 PM Eastern time tonight Joel Hodgson will be hosting a special "social distancing" MST3K show, with the cast of the live tour riffing, in a chatroom setting, the season one episode Moon Zero Two, which is a kind of "space western." We watch MST frequently in our own chat room, keeping each other distantly social long before it was cool or necessary. We're going to be trying to watch and riffing them watching and riffing their old riffshow, in a pleasantly recursive showing, assuming we can set it up correctly. You all are all invented to watch and riff along if you like!

Thanks to Fizz for suggesting mentioning it here. After their show we'll be watching our own scheduled episode, 203 JUNGLE GODDESS.




9

I've lost my paint

I remember reading a post on either Metafilter/Ask Metafilter in which the comment section got onto the topic of white interior house paint. One person commented that "Such-and-such white paint is the best" with a link. Many people favorited it and I think several agreed with the declaration in subsequent comments. I thought, "What is this great paint that people seem to love?" I clicked through to the paint color and thought, "oh yes, that really is a VERY good white interior paint color." Now I am in need of white interior paint, looking for that comment/link, and I can't find it.




9

By amtho in "cats vs robot feeder: what's the next step?" on Ask MeFi

I have successfully eliminated feeding time drama. I will tell you how.

But first - if you're willing to make a small screw hole in the pantry door, you can get an inexpensive metal latch hook that will improve that part of your system. If that won't work, you can find another way to keep that door securely closed. If you get stuck, just use your second AskMe question. You should be able to solve this problem :)

If you can't, well, it doesn't sound like you're getting a ton of help from the robot. Would it be just as easy to store the food in an air-tight container and serve whenever you feel like it?

Now - here's how I got my round little foster cat to stop harassing us for food:

I convinced her that I was not responsible for deciding when to feed her. I had an old phone with a distinctive, not-unpleasant alarm sound (harp glissando), set the alarm for her feeding times, and made a huge show about hearing the alarm sound, running over to it (to shut it off), and feeding her exactly then. It was clear that I was controlled by the harp sound. She made the connection very quickly, and would go sit and watch the sound/alarm system when it was close to meal times. My life improved. Safety improved (no cat weaving around my ankles). My estimation of my own cleverness improved also :)




9

By sevenyearlurk in "So how's that work from home working out for you at home?" on MeFi

My work has been doing mandatory, camera-on videoconference "socials" every Friday -- scheduled at 4pm just to twist the knife. I hate them so much and finally told my manager I'm not going to attend anymore. People seem to think that because we're working from home, they're free to push on the boundaries between work life and private life in a way that is super uncomfortable for me and it has definitely been adding to my COVID stress in isolation.




9

By NoxAeternum in "Aren't You a Little Short For a Stormtrooper?" on MeFi

If you're so ignorant that you think any promotion involving a gun on the streets in this day and age is appropriate you are a fucking idiot and detainment is the least of your worries.

This is the sort of mentality that leads to minority kids getting killed for having the temerity to play with toy guns.




9

By zebra in "Aw poop (COVID-19 and public bathrooms)" on MeFi

Many trans people have never been able to trust or access public toilets, even if they are present and unoccupied, and excluding trans people from bathroom use is currently a mainstream political stance. I was disappointed to see this not addressed in the article. I'll continue to hope (while also cynically doubting, I contain multitudes) that we will use the societal changes required by the pandemic to benefit everyone, rather than re-creating the previous dysfunction.




9

By phunniemee in "Intimidated by guy I'm dating" on Ask MeFi

Do you actually like this guy? You've written an essay here and the only positives you list about this person are qualities you assumed about him during the period you had no personal contact. Of course he makes himself look interesting in his own blog.

Stop worrying if he likes you or not, or likes you enough or more than your friend maybe. For the next few weeks, your sole focus should be "do I actually like this guy, really?"

If it's your anxiety telling you you're not good enough that's one thing, but I don't get the impression from what you've written that you've spent a lot of time looking at this dude with a critical eye. HE needs to be right for YOU before you start concerning yourself with whether you're good enough for him.




9

By atrazine in "So how's that work from home working out for you at home?" on MeFi

I think a lot of managers don't know how to manage. When you're in an office, they can perform all sorts of work theater. When they're not, they have to find substitutes to prove they're doing something.

Bing - fuckin' - o

One of the things I do professionally is to help organisations move to flexible and remote working (yes, business is great right now) and the hardest thing is always the cultural and performance management aspects. Many/most managers have never had any training in - nor done any serious thinking about - management. They're like newborns with no object permanence, when things are not in their field of view, they don't exist. When you ask them to evaluate their staff, they give vague answers not backed up by evidence or linked to specific objectives.

It's not that hard. Assign people tasks, check that they have completed them correctly, give feedback. I don't care how much time my team spends wanking, watching prestige television, or reading during the day as long as they deliver me the stuff I've asked for when I've asked for it. I'm genuinely curious what kind of jobs even exist that can be done remotely but are not amenable to an output based way of working. Seriously, name one!

This kind of stuff makes me want to start putting people against the wall.