General Discussion Thread

[starfallz]

This is 50% of the reason I carry big no-nonsense headphones everywhere I go, it's the clearest "DON'T TALK TO ME" signal and even if sometimes it still doesn't work you can always pretend you didn't hear them

(The other 50% being, of course, the possibility to genuinely drown out annoying Outside World noises.)

I often used headphones like that in the workplace for similar reasons.

[eyjafjallajoke]

Trust me, I am alive! Been caught up with school stuff, conversations with my mother, and the possibility of transferring to cyberschool. Alas, I am back for a few days, I hope?

[Curry]

Trust me, I am alive! Been caught up with school stuff, conversations with my mother, and the possibility of transferring to cyberschool. Alas, I am back for a few days, I hope?

Aaah, I hope the conversations went well! Welcome back!

[Fenris]

I have a tendency to at least talk a bit with people handing out pamphlets, asking for signatures or selling something, mostly because I've often been on their end. There's few things as demoralizing as going out, not asking much more of people than maybe a signature or accepting a pamphlet/argument for something one things is right, and 80% try to ignore it. People who stop and argue tend to be a welcome relief even, than apathy.

[Yuuago]

Trust me, I am alive! Been caught up with school stuff, conversations with my mother, and the possibility of transferring to cyberschool. Alas, I am back for a few days, I hope?

Glad to hear you haven't disappeared into the void. Welcome back!

[eyjafjallajoke]

Glad to hear you haven't disappeared into the void. Welcome back!

Aaah, I hope the conversations went well! Welcome back!

Thanks! Also, they went okay, ish, I guess?

[Curry]

Thanks! Also, they went okay, ish, I guess?

Good to hear that it was somewhat positive at least! ´  w｀)b


Also, hahahaah, I have too much homework to do and I can't figure this out so I am going to just give up. NICE. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

[Fimbulvarg]

I have a tendency to at least talk a bit with people handing out pamphlets, asking for signatures or selling something, mostly because I've often been on their end. There's few things as demoralizing as going out, not asking much more of people than maybe a signature or accepting a pamphlet/argument for something one things is right, and 80% try to ignore it. People who stop and argue tend to be a welcome relief even, than apathy.

Handing out pamphlets or selling magazines is one thing. Whenever I see people from Amnesty Int. I usually stop by if they approach because they're usually gatherint signatures. The so-called activists (fundraiser is what they call themselves) are actually paid wages for what they do. Some of them even work for fundraising companies. I guess they care more than just a little about their cause, but they're not there just out of the kindness of their heart.

[Mélusine]

I have a tendency to at least talk a bit with people handing out pamphlets, asking for signatures or selling something, mostly because I've often been on their end. There's few things as demoralizing as going out, not asking much more of people than maybe a signature or accepting a pamphlet/argument for something one things is right, and 80% try to ignore it. People who stop and argue tend to be a welcome relief even, than apathy.

Yes, I know that, so I smile also to say "excuse me" and often wish them to have a good day, because their job is not funny, but honestly I tend to avoid them, I'm not comfortable with having to say no again, and again, and again.

[Aki]

The most awkward thing is when you get stopped by one of these fundraisers and it turns out to be your ex-classmate who's doing it as a summer job because she's broke. One of the really annoying thing is that they target people like students (who got that wiiide soft heart) and never the people who look like they'd have the money for that like people in suits... which is one of the tricks my ex-classmate told me about as I chatted with her back then (had to wait for my train).

I go by the good old "Headphones in, shake your head, don't look at them and just weave in and out of the crowd and if nothing else helps, talk in a foreign language." Not really nice because they're just trying to do their job but uh, I don't like being talked into donations. (  ¬_¬)'''

[Fimbulvarg]

The most awkward thing is when you get stopped by one of these fundraisers and it turns out to be your ex-classmate who's doing it as a summer job because she's broke. One of the really annoying thing is that they target people like students (who got that wiiide soft heart) and never the people who look like they'd have the money for that like people in suits... which is one of the tricks my ex-classmate told me about as I chatted with her back then (had to wait for my train).

I go by the good old "Headphones in, shake your head, don't look at them and just weave in and out of the crowd and if nothing else helps, talk in a foreign language." Not really nice because they're just trying to do their job but uh, I don't like being talked into donations. (  ¬_¬)'''

They quite clearly target younger people (Winston Churchill was right), so in my experience there's usually tons of them on the university campus. Interestingly they're rarely to be found at the College of Economics or the Faculty of Law (where the spendthrifts are). Instead they cluster around the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities.

[Mélusine]

Interestingly they're rarely to be found at the College of Economics or the Faculty of Law (where the spendthrifts are). Instead they cluster around the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities.

So true...

[JoB]

But it's just so... o_e Have you ever tasted that?

Why, yes, right the first time my father asked me to pass by Switzerland and bring a couple when driving to him to visit. (Took him only into his 70s to remember having liked the stuff back when he lived in Switzerland ...) Obviously not to be used like one'ld eat Gouda, sure; I'ld consider it a replacement for Parmesan on my pasta, if only I wouldn't prefer pesti with strong taste (all'arrabiata, alla puttanesca, ...).

[JoB]

Yeah, I did stop the transaction through the bank, but I kept getting bills from them (of course, they couldn't actually demand the payment, but it was annoying).

Hmph. My stepfather was a paying member of his darling political party for two years after he passed on, cancellation announcements and copies of the death certificate sent to both them and the bank be damned. Mom ultimately cancelled his bank account altogether specifically to get rid of them.

This is 50% of the reason I carry big no-nonsense headphones everywhere I go, it's the clearest "DON'T TALK TO ME" signal and even if sometimes it still doesn't work you can always pretend you didn't hear them

I wonder whether there exist some extra-sneaky headphone models that specifically project the BOOMBADABOOM outward to help turn the all-too-interested folks away, rather than directing the music inwards into the wearer's ears like usual ones do ...

[Aki]

Why, yes, right the first time my father asked me to pass by Switzerland and bring a couple when driving to him to visit. (Took him only into his 70s to remember having liked the stuff back when he lived in Switzerland ...) Obviously not to be used like one'ld eat Gouda, sure; I'ld consider it a replacement for Parmesan on my pasta, if only I wouldn't prefer pesti with strong taste (all'arrabiata, alla puttanesca, ...).

Oh okay then, guess we just have different tastes then. :') It's one of the few cheeses I can't stand and I only know very few people who actually like it as well. Though you're the first person I've heard of who would put it on pasta... here it tends to be eaten as such, maybe with a piece of bread or fruit, as part of a cheese platter.
(Well as long as he remembered it )

I wonder whether there exist some extra-sneaky headphone models that specifically project the BOOMBADABOOM outward to help turn the all-too-interested folks away, rather than directing the music inwards into the wearer's ears like usual ones do ...

Yes, there is such a thing or rather there is a start-up company called "axent wear" that has created headphones that also double as speakers (cat-ear shaped) and you can pre-order them atm. I kind of want them... but I doubt I'd use the speakers.