What's on your mind today?

[Ali]

The bounty of Nature . . . And what a pain it can be!

I disturbed a spider's nest. With about a hundred 1.5mm long spiders in it. Which then invaded my hair and clothing looking for somewhere to hide.

I am afraid that I ended up resorting to a small vacuum cleaner, a lot of brushing of hair and a pair of trousers and a shirt getting an early turn in the washing machine. And me a quick shower.

Luckily I did not have Mama to contend with.

That's a very measured response. If my clothes and hair (oh NO, not my hair!!!) were infested with baby spiders I would most likely just set myself on fire.

Working on credit card processing has made me incredibly paranoid. A kid came by the house selling candy, which is not an uncommon thing. My own son has sold candy for fundraisers before. I didn't have any cash, but he helpfully offered that they take credit cards through the square app. I did it, but before I did I backed out of the sale so I could look at the app. It appeared to be on the up and up, but the whole time I was putting in my credit card info, I was thinking "I am typing in almost everything a credit card fraudster needs to go hog wild on my account. With this info, they can make online purchases, and probably have almost enough info to change my pin so they can pull money out of the ATM. They don't have the service code on my card for a convincing counterfeit, but a canny fraudster would easily spot the chip on my card and deduce the service code, and who knows if my bank is currently doing risk screenings on service code." All of this for an elementary school aged child selling chocolates. But I mean, if you wanted to steal someone's info, they would be more trusting of a child, right. So I made sure the app emailed me a receipt so I have the merchant info. If I get fraud on my account, I'm going to make it my personal mission to obliterate that eight year old and everyone who has ever known him....

[Icarus]

^ Good thinking Ali.

I am sad that we must necessarily be vigilant and continuously suspicious, even of little kids. 

I will spare you the old man nostalgia bits about the olden days when people were more trustworthy.

[Essie Mae]

Last week a girl in about her early 20s with horrible injuries to her face and neck accosted my friend and me asking for money because she'd been in A&E all night, lost her dog, phone and purse and now needed to get home. We both gave her a couple of quid and went on our way. This was in Shaftesbury Avenue (London's theatre land); there probably isn't a hospital very close by. We wondered if we'd been had, but what would a genuine person in that position look like?

I hope for your sake she was genuine but it sounds dodgy to me.  I'd have thought the hospital would have let her get in touch with someone or in the worst case scenario arranged for transport home.

Agreed. That being said, there's a good chance I would have done the same thing.

I probably would as well, "a couple of quud" would not bankrupt me but could be a meal for another. Though I worry it was just towards the next fix. Otherwise, not much difference from dropping a few items in the food bank donation box.

In hind sight: did she have dressings, stiches or were the sounds in plain view - assuming there was more than bruising? Did she have signs of malnutrition, or anorexia (skinny wrists and neck, sunken eyes etc.) In the moment one does not look so closely.

The marks on her face were like deep grazes rather than just bruising. It's interesting that some of you would do the same thing. I'd rather look back and think I'd probably been had than a vague feeling of having ignored someone in genuine trouble. I agree it sounds dodgy, but as pointed out, a couple of quid was not going to bankrupt me and if it was for a fix, she'd have got the money somehow. I don't like the idea of always being suspicious and cynical.

[Firebird]

Working on credit card processing has made me incredibly paranoid. A kid came by the house selling candy, which is not an uncommon thing. My own son has sold candy for fundraisers before. I didn't have any cash, but he helpfully offered that they take credit cards through the square app. I did it, but before I did I backed out of the sale so I could look at the app. It appeared to be on the up and up, but the whole time I was putting in my credit card info, I was thinking "I am typing in almost everything a credit card fraudster needs to go hog wild on my account. With this info, they can make online purchases, and probably have almost enough info to change my pin so they can pull money out of the ATM. They don't have the service code on my card for a convincing counterfeit, but a canny fraudster would easily spot the chip on my card and deduce the service code, and who knows if my bank is currently doing risk screenings on service code." All of this for an elementary school aged child selling chocolates. But I mean, if you wanted to steal someone's info, they would be more trusting of a child, right. So I made sure the app emailed me a receipt so I have the merchant info. If I get fraud on my account, I'm going to make it my personal mission to obliterate that eight year old and everyone who has ever known him....

Square is legit, it's been around for years and is used by plenty of people without issues. And honestly, if your card numbers do get swiped it probably won't affect you too much as long as you're vigilant. I've had my numbers stolen twice over the years, and both times the charges were reversed completely and I got new cards quickly.

[Firebird]

Tonight is my last night in Krakow before headed back home. I love this place. Not only did I get to visit some cool tourist attractions and discover a fun band at a random music club last night, I've also spent more time hanging out with my Krakow coworkers in the past 72 hours than I have with my Boston-based ones in the past 7 years. Frankly they're friendlier and more interesting.
Maybe I'm just overreacting to what has been a revitalizing trip, but perhaps I just haven't fit into the US, or at least the East Coast, all this time. It's not just this, it's how often I've met interesting people while traveling, the fact that my two most serious relationships were with non-US women, and just the general difference of attitude in parts of Europe.

[Sandra Craft]

Tonight is my last night in Krakow before headed back home. I love this place. Not only did I get to visit some cool tourist attractions and discover a fun band at a random music club last night, I've also spent more time hanging out with my Krakow coworkers in the past 72 hours than I have with my Boston-based ones in the past 7 years. Frankly they're friendlier and more interesting.
Maybe I'm just overreacting to what has been a revitalizing trip, but perhaps I just haven't fit into the US, or at least the East Coast, all this time. It's not just this, it's how often I've met interesting people while traveling, the fact that my two most serious relationships were with non-US women, and just the general difference of attitude in parts of Europe.

My brother had the same reaction after being temporarily transferred to his company's European office in the Netherlands, he never wanted to come home.  He got an extension twice and I think it broke his heart when they finally said he had to come back to Oregon.

[Velma]

Working on credit card processing has made me incredibly paranoid. A kid came by the house selling candy, which is not an uncommon thing. My own son has sold candy for fundraisers before. I didn't have any cash, but he helpfully offered that they take credit cards through the square app. I did it, but before I did I backed out of the sale so I could look at the app. It appeared to be on the up and up, but the whole time I was putting in my credit card info, I was thinking "I am typing in almost everything a credit card fraudster needs to go hog wild on my account. With this info, they can make online purchases, and probably have almost enough info to change my pin so they can pull money out of the ATM. They don't have the service code on my card for a convincing counterfeit, but a canny fraudster would easily spot the chip on my card and deduce the service code, and who knows if my bank is currently doing risk screenings on service code." All of this for an elementary school aged child selling chocolates. But I mean, if you wanted to steal someone's info, they would be more trusting of a child, right. So I made sure the app emailed me a receipt so I have the merchant info. If I get fraud on my account, I'm going to make it my personal mission to obliterate that eight year old and everyone who has ever known him....

My credit cards have the option to send me an alert every time they are used. If you worried about it, you could see if your credit card offers something similar.

[Tank]

Tonight is my last night in Krakow before headed back home. I love this place. Not only did I get to visit some cool tourist attractions and discover a fun band at a random music club last night, I've also spent more time hanging out with my Krakow coworkers in the past 72 hours than I have with my Boston-based ones in the past 7 years. Frankly they're friendlier and more interesting.
Maybe I'm just overreacting to what has been a revitalizing trip, but perhaps I just haven't fit into the US, or at least the East Coast, all this time. It's not just this, it's how often I've met interesting people while traveling, the fact that my two most serious relationships were with non-US women, and just the general difference of attitude in parts of Europe.

Just bear in mind you're a temporary novelty to those you are meeting. You're interesting and due to leave. People can be nosy about you and gain gossip points and if they don't like you, you'll be gone soon. I found this when I worked in the USA. People would seek out the 'Brit' just to chat. The up side of this is that you get auto-exposed to lots of people hence there is a higher probability of simply meeting people who may find you interesting hence your wife etc. This happened with my friend Will who is a grade one Anglophile and a closet US military historian geek. We get on like a house on fire.

[Arturo]

Couple things. This being Sunday, I went down stairs and talked with a couple old ladies. Asked if they went to church then got turned into an argument. Both ladies did their best but at the end they didn't want to talk about it.

If this turns into a regular thing with my neighbors I'll just ask them "so you believe a guy who MAGICALLY made everything but you won't believe the universe exploded into existence?"

[Arturo]

Other thing. A girl told me about a gym to train for ninja warrior. I'm going to do that.

[OldGit]

If this turns into a regular thing with my neighbors I'll just ask them "so you believe a guy who MAGICALLY made everything but you won't believe the universe exploded into existence?"

Probably better to talk about the weather.

[Dave]

Couple things. This being Sunday, I went down stairs and talked with a couple old ladies. Asked if they went to church then got turned into an argument. Both ladies did their best but at the end they didn't want to talk about it.

If this turns into a regular thing with my neighbors I'll just ask them "so you believe a guy who MAGICALLY made everything but you won't believe the universe exploded into existence?"

Well, in a strongly religiously orientated country that is not, perhaps, the ideal way to make friends and influence people! But, your life.

[Dave]

Talking about food with a friend last night I realised I had not had proper, fat English chips for some weeks.

This morning my weight check showed I was 62.8kg, lightest for about 6 months.

Went to local pubsturant and had grilled chicken breast with smoked bacon and grilled Monterey Jack cheese over the top, sweetcorn, battered onion rings and ENGLISH CHIPS.  Washed down with cold Guiness and followed by chocolate brownie and icecream.

Yum. Now replete.

Oops, forgot the "on the mind" bit. Apart from the serving staff and a 30-40ish couple (and one toddler) I was the slimmest person in a karge and mosgly full eatery. Ignoring the couple and the micro-person average age was probably 60-70. We too are becoming a nation of fatties. Makes me both sad and a tad virtuous at ballancing my health against still enjoying the slightly less healthy side of food. It will be just rabbit food and fruit tonight.

[Arturo]

Talking about food with a friend last night I realised I had not had proper, fat English chips for some weeks.

This morning my weight check showed I was 62.8kg, lightest for about 6 months.

Went to local pubsturant and had grilled chicken breast with smoked bacon and grilled Monterey Jack cheese over the top, sweetcorn, battered onion rings and ENGLISH CHIPS.  Washed down with cold Guiness and followed by chocolate brownie and icecream.

Yum. Now replete.

Oops, forgot the "on the mind" bit. Apart from the serving staff and a 30-40ish couple (and one toddler) I was the slimmest person in a karge and mosgly full eatery. Ignoring the couple and the micro-person average age was probably 60-70. We too are becoming a nation of fatties. Makes me both sad and a tad virtuous at ballancing my health against still enjoying the slightly less healthy side of food. It will be just rabbit food and fruit tonight.

God damn that sounds good. Idk what you know about nutrition but have to ever looked it up on the internet?

Slightly related but not rhetorical. I saw this girl yesterday doing these at the gym

Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.

I asked "doesn't that hurt your back?" She told me she doesn't think so and that she only got the idea from videos. It was pretty clear to me she didn't know what she was doing so I told her "you need to do more research than that cuz it's going to hurt your back doing this"

The reason I asked her is she seemed pretty fit and I thought she might knew something I didn't.

[Dave]

If she was swinging that weight like that you could well be right, Arturo! Last did weight training in 1961 but ftom shst I remember and what I know of human biology and structural engineering . . . That ain't gonna do her back much good! Seem to remember its a bit like the physics class, levers and pivots, action and reaction - that is how your skeleto-muscular system works and it is designed for some actions and not others. Like siccer players misding the ball and their knee trying to bend the wrong way with the momentum.

I think she is going to stretch muscles then try to use those same muscles to limit the stretch rather than use opposing muscle groups to work against each other, self limiting. But then, my time was when the Alexanda Technique, as much a philosophy as anything in vogue. Plus a technique who's name I forget that used only body weight or muscle groups working against each other, very little or no equipment.