MetaFilter

Being skilled at your job and having a skilled job are two different things

Indeed they are. The first has actual real-world referents and the second does not.

The idea of a "skilled job" implies that there must exist, by contrast, unskilled jobs; but there is no job that requires no skills in order to be done to a standard worth paying for. Not even when the only immediately obvious skill... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by flabdablet at 11:29 PM on November 20, 2023

Do most cars really have to have their oil checked?

Yes, because most oil leaks start slow, and checking the oil level every few times you fuel up can catch a loss of oil well before it starts to damage your engine.

Or do you just go to the quick-change place when the car tells you to?

If the car is telling you to change your oil, it's doing that for one of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by flabdablet at 10:55 AM on November 20, 2023

I just want to reiterate that he thinks "Earth" will "respond" to companies not advertising on Twitter, which he calls "blackmail[ing] me with money".
posted to MetaFilter by signal at 4:27 AM on November 30, 2023

I also like Paul Wesley's take on the character more than Chris Pine's, at least as written in the JJ Abrams movies (though I do really enjoy Pine in other roles). Pine's Kirk never quite seemed to take himself seriously as an adult or an officer, much less a captain (to whom it's never actually believable that they'd hand command over).

Thinking about it, Wesley doesn't remind me so much of Jim Carrey's satirical take (though actually I bet Carrey could have done a... [more]
posted to FanFare by Pryde at 4:02 PM on July 1, 2023

In space exploration, failure is not an option — it comes pre-installed.

I love that line, but this one in particular jumped out at me: "I still remember the shock when Project Manager Pete delivered the decision and the follow-on news: ‘These tests will continue. And Chris will continue to lead them as we have paid for his education. He’s the last person on Earth who would make this mistake again.’... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mhoye at 11:37 AM on November 28, 2023

David Keith and Keith David.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by roosterboy at 5:02 PM on November 27, 2023

It began with robots made to throw up in the air to do stunt work.

Understandable. If they made me do stunt work, I’d probably throw up in the air as well.
posted to MetaFilter by zamboni at 6:59 PM on November 25, 2023

My favorite example of American cultural stagnation is the incessant movie remakes

On the other hand, we forget how often the classics of the past were remakes. Lots of great 30s and 40s films were remakes of silents or remakes of earlier talkies. The Maltese Falcon that we all know and love was the third version of that story brought to the screen in ten years. The Wizard of Oz had been made over and over before... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by yoink at 1:38 PM on December 8, 2011

Saying otherwise is kind of like the Beverly Hill 90210 DVDs, where they couldn't get the rights to most of the music that originally aired on the show, so filled out party scenes and so on with generic, royalty-free rap.

This is off topic, but a struggling hip-hop producer I know licensed one of his tracks to one of those teen-oriented shows on one of a major networks. He spammed his facebook and twitter telling people to watch it for weeks, had a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by empath at 1:07 PM on December 8, 2011

Is this your card?
Yes! Thank you ricochet biscuit! Kurt Andersen, you'd think I would have remembered that.
posted to MetaFilter by St. Oops at 9:35 PM on November 24, 2023

I mean, I'm still wearing some of the same clothes I had from 20 years ago, so

old man's wardrobe
posted to MetaFilter by phunniemee at 9:22 AM on November 24, 2023

Just chiming in to say that Nate mending the Believe sign with kintsugi technique was a really nice little touch, given that the philosophy of kintsugi is (1) to foreground the mending, and (2) to make stronger and more beautiful than the original through the act of repairing.
posted to FanFare by sockshaveholes at 9:40 AM on June 2, 2023

Barbara - i didn’t find her enjoyment of blood and violence funny, and it actually struck me as weird af and tonally jarring overall?

Weird af and tonally jarring overall is pretty much Barbara's whole thing though, yes?
posted to FanFare by flabdablet at 4:42 AM on June 1, 2023

I'm not entirely clear why Ted showed up at his ex-wife's house while his driver unloads his luggage like he's staying the night.

Made perfect sense to me! He comes straight from the airport and wants to visit Henry for more than 15 minutes so he takes his luggage with him, then calls another Uber when he's done and packs his luggage back in. It's not like that was his personal driver who would wait on the curb for 3 hours.
posted to FanFare by mmoncur at 7:26 PM on May 31, 2023

I don't think anyone likes Beard and Jane together. Beard is a twisted guy, what with all his recreational uh, loaves of bread meth, so I guess it appeals to him, but UGH. Maybe the wedding is a dream sequence, maybe not, maybe they just left it weird.

SO glad Dutch Pilot Dude was brought back. Most of the psychic stuff was just plain weird (don't see what shite in nining/matchbook had to do with ANYTHING AT ALL), but I'm happy Rebecca gets to mom a team and possibly a... [more]
posted to FanFare by jenfullmoon at 1:15 PM on May 31, 2023

did anyone get weepy at this ep?

I teared up a little bit, but honestly, that was a foregone conclusion.

Four years ago I took a job managing a community college library in a small town far away from just about anyone I knew. It wasn't a great fit for me culturally, and I had to work really hard to build connections and find positive moments. I participated in the college's first drag show and first cosplay contest.... [more]
posted to FanFare by Jeanne at 11:14 AM on May 31, 2023

I'm not entirely clear why Ted showed up at his ex-wife's house while his driver unloads his luggage like he's staying the night.

Some couples (me included) can’t make the marriage work, but do divorce well. I suspect he’s staying there until he secures his own home, or just a couple of nights to acclimate and spend time with Henry before getting a hotel. It’s not uncommon.
posted to FanFare by Silvery Fish at 5:18 AM on May 31, 2023

I don't have the hate for the show that people here generally seem to have.
------
I don't think this is a fair characterization at all. I've read (and participated in most of) every Fanfare thread about Ted Lasso, and can't recall seeing a single person posting that they hate the show.

Really? There has been a lot of piling-on and entire episode threads that were almost exclusively negative. I mostly stopped participating... [more]
posted to FanFare by under_petticoat_rule at 1:00 PM on May 25, 2023

I now think the arc is not really about Nate earning redemption, it's about Ted & the Richmond team forgiving Nate. And that should have been obvious to me, this is what this show is.

THANK you for articulating this - I think some version of this every time I hear or read "he hasn't earned it yet"...I'm like...that's the point. Helping people be the best version of themselves carries the direct implication that they are NOT THAT, not... [more]
posted to FanFare by ersatzkat at 7:29 AM on May 24, 2023

canada has relatively friendly immigration policy but it did not take on 2 billion new renters

The person I was responding to was asking why the housing crunch appeared to be a global phenomenon.
posted to MetaFilter by jacquilynne at 1:19 PM on November 23, 2023

DID EDWIN JUST THROW FOOD AT EVERYONE??!?! Apparently, yes.

I forgot to mention my biggest laugh at this episode was when I realized that he probably ordered Francis to throw food at everyone. (Akufo doesn't even shake hands himself.)
posted to FanFare by mmoncur at 3:48 AM on May 23, 2023

If the show begets another show, will it be what Frasier was to Cheers? Who would be the lead?

It's more like Frasier begetting Cheers. That said, I think if there was a spin off, you'd be wild to separate it from the football club. It's the ensemble that helps Ted Lasso succeed and just pivoting away on one character would greatly reduce what is so enjoyable about the show now.
posted to FanFare by Atreides at 12:01 PM on May 18, 2023

Mr. creepygirl and I rewatched Midnight Train to Royston (Season 2, episode 11) tonight and discovered that this episode has a couple of callbacks to that earlier episode:

In Midnight Train to Royston, Sam agrees to go to a museum/out to eat with Akufo.

Watching them go, Higgins says, "So strange. I once wrote a play about a billionaire who took a footballer to a museum and then dinner."

Someone asks Higgins... [more]
posted to FanFare by creepygirl at 8:17 PM on May 17, 2023

The rental housing situation in Australia is currently so dire that a leading economist recently recommended that the Federal government reduce the number of visas issued to foreign university students to come here and study, because we don't have enough rental housing for the 725,000 students from the rest of the world currently studying in Australia. (If you think 725,000 people is not many people, the total population of Australia is 26,871,700 people, and we lost... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 9:25 AM on November 23, 2023

Kathryn Tewson's summary of the whole situation, in the ultra-simplified English style of XKCD's Up Goer Five, is hilarious and well worth a read (Nitter link).
posted to MetaFilter by flug at 1:42 AM on November 23, 2023

Don’t forget boor!
posted to MetaFilter by eviemath at 9:32 PM on November 22, 2023

They then asked Rebecca who the best classic rock guitarist was, which I presume the previous argument had been about.

My personal pick would be Dick Dale but the obvious correct answer is Hendrix and it’s not even close.
posted to FanFare by Parasite Unseen at 10:47 AM on May 12, 2023

Finally Jade was given something to do other than be a Sexy Lamp

When Rupert said she was from southern Poland, I realized that she hadn't had enough consecutive dialogue in the entire series so far for me to recognize that she was supposed to have a non-UK accent.
posted to FanFare by Etrigan at 4:51 AM on May 11, 2023

I'm not a fan of any of the Nate/Jade romance arc either but I don't think Nate's growth in this episode is "he doesn't cheat on Jade." I think it's the conscious realization that he can't have what makes him happy AND exist in harmony with Rupert or Rupert's value system. It's the understanding that Rupert is not the kind of man whose approval is worth caring about, and the understanding that if he is going to keep what he cares about (not just Jade but also his values), he's going to... [more]
posted to FanFare by Jeanne at 4:25 PM on May 10, 2023

This is pretty existential but actually as a function of drama, if we don't see it and it's not alluded to, it didn't happen.

I really don't think this is fair. The show put a lot of energy in earlier episodes into demonstrating that this is literally a daily thing he does, and when it doesn't happen or happens less than perfectly it's a BFD. As long as it already feels like the hour-long format is dragging, it would feel even more so if they felt... [more]
posted to FanFare by solotoro at 1:27 PM on May 24, 2023

I'm in the midst of "JFK and the Unspeakable", by James W. Douglass - a book endorsed by RFK, Jr., Yoko Ono, and Oliver Stone. It lays out the whole case against the intelligence agencies in great detail, and with wonderful moral clarity and tells us what we can no and not know about the Oswald in Cuba episode. I urge anyone interested in this topic to read it.
posted to MetaFilter by Modest House at 7:07 PM on November 10, 2023

quoting myself from a little over a decade ago ...

a thought about word use here. It seems to me there's a kind of continuum worth considering.

impossible
unlikely
possible
plausible
probable
verifiable

with no doubt more words that could be added. For the record, I'm at most arguing for the plausibility of a JFK conspiracy, but more likely something... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by philip-random at 6:29 AM on November 22, 2023

“Brinda Bardot” is definitely a direct nod to Priti Patel, the former, incredibly anti immigration and refugee Home Secretary.

Fortunately for the show, the current Home Secretary is also a massive anti refugee bigot.
posted to FanFare by His thoughts were red thoughts at 6:24 AM on April 26, 2023

Universal Basic Income. This would help reward the family and close friends who currently provide unpaid support to seniors who are still in their home (eg my Mom). Hopefully this type of support would then become more common.

I'd also like to see some kind of recognition and support for co-op housing where a few seniors are supported by other residents, and they in turn help with childcare, or cooking/baking, etc as their condition permits.

New ideas required.
posted to MetaFilter by Artful Codger at 9:55 AM on November 21, 2023

ThatCanadianGirl: ...retirement planning is all about predicting the future.

Which reminds me: making every one of us manage our own retirement savings was a cruel trick, because if we were very good at it, investing would be our damn job already.
posted to MetaFilter by wenestvedt at 12:21 PM on November 20, 2023

In Canada we have a plan called Freedom 55, for people who can retire at that age.

That's not a plan, it's a brand that's largely been dropped / folded into Canada Life.
posted to MetaFilter by synecdoche at 11:25 AM on November 20, 2023

The good news if you're Canadian is that in just under two years at the most, Pierre Poilievre will be elected Prime Minister and will work tirelessly to improve the lot of the working classes.

/s
posted to MetaFilter by The Card Cheat at 11:09 AM on November 20, 2023

My SIL is in a Medicaid home in Florida. I think her life is incredibly valuable; we have a rich relationship that is utterly unique. But the state of Florida, Medicaid, and the millionaire who owns her nursing home, think she’s most valuable as a generator of revenue.

People don’t just dread nursing homes because they hate and devalue old people. They dread nursing homes bc some of them are literally hell on earth. We try to visit at least twice a week bc otherwise... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by toodleydoodley at 7:41 PM on November 20, 2023

On the less-loved side, I'm not sure I believe that Roy could learn to ride a bike that well, that quickly

I think its weirder he didn't learn faster: as a professional athlete in a sport where you notably cannot use your arms, he should be relatively familiar with pedaling from all the exercise biking done over his career, and going faster is pretty key in balance stability.
posted to FanFare by pwnguin at 11:50 PM on May 29, 2023

On the less-loved side, I'm not sure I believe that Roy could learn to ride a bike that well, that quickly

I justified it by remembering:

1. Roy is a phenomenal physical specimen.
2. He has almost certainly used a stationary bike during his training.
3. The biggest obstacle in learning to ride a bike is freaking out about the possibility of falling but footballers have made falling down like half their... [more]
posted to FanFare by Parasite Unseen at 9:08 PM on April 24, 2023

Add me to the tally for "yes we did" means "we had an amazing personal connection" and nothing more.

It'd be completely antithetical to the entire Ted Lasso universe for Rebecca to have been too blackout drunk to remember a sexual experience that would have happened without her meaningful consent, and/or for a man to have had sex with her in that state. I can hardly think of anything less Lasso-like.
posted to FanFare by BlahLaLa at 8:02 PM on April 20, 2023

not for nothing but I really wish people would spell Keeley correctly
posted to FanFare by tzikeh at 9:38 AM on April 20, 2023

I would pay good money for Jamie Tartt's Audio Tours of European Cities.
posted to FanFare by amarynth at 6:43 AM on April 20, 2023

I think Dutchguy meant something like “we did have a connection” rather than anything else. Ted Lasso isn’t that kind of show I don’t think.
posted to FanFare by gnuhavenpier at 1:10 AM on April 20, 2023

Ack, forgot to add Higgins and Will to the list of highlights. Higgins gets to play onstage because Will chose those seats so close to the stage, and was willing to talk Higgins up to the jazz singer! Just the little bits of characters helping and supporting each other are so great!
posted to FanFare by creepygirl at 9:39 AM on April 19, 2023

Several of these have been covered by Todd in the Shadows in his "Trainwreckords" series.

48. Van Halen III. Van Halen.
43. St. Anger. Metallica.
42. Cut the crap. The Clash
26. American Life. Madonna.
11. Summer in Paradise. The Beach Boys.
10. Mardi Gras. Creedence Clearwater Revival.
9. American Dream. Crosby Stills Nash and Young.

The episodes are all quite... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Monday, stony Monday at 5:45 PM on March 17, 2023

So who wants to see a half-hour long, year-old video about why aspects of a 20 year old movie sucked!?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Well anyway, Why does Attack of the Clones look like a video game was really informative about the politics, technology and why CGI cloth drapes like a melted cheese slice.
posted to MetaFilter by TheophileEscargot at 3:41 AM on November 20, 2023

“The judges had delectable things to say about Nidelven Blå, a semi-solid, blue mold cheese, made with pasteurized cows’ milk.

“‘It has this sort of short creaminess, like real dense fudginess,’ said one judge. Another called it ‘the perfect blue cheese’.”

Is there any goal more lofty, more admirable, than humanity's desire to create the perfect blue cheese? I think not.
posted to MetaFilter by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:28 AM on November 20, 2023

Related is the recent episode of the If Books Could Kill podcast about the retail theft panic.

The short of it is: it's entirely made up.

All the articles trace back to the National Retail Federation, whose reports are so bogus in lacking actual data that they cite literal Tumblr posts and Reddit comments. It's as lacking of any real data as the Satanic panic against Dungeons & Dragons or Harry Potter or whatever.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by AlSweigart at 11:30 AM on November 19, 2023

I'm not surprised a country that has people working as fucking door greeters at many supermarkets would find self checkouts terrible though - it's indicative of a different attitude toward and expectation with regard to levels of service.
posted to MetaFilter by Dysk at 2:56 AM on November 19, 2023