What's bugging you? (2013)

[Baldkin]

This is going to sound dumb, but it's probably copper.

 

Do you let your washer agitate with the detergent in the water before you put your clothes in?

[Patrick425]

This is going to sound dumb, but it's probably copper.

 

Do you let your washer agitate with the detergent in the water before you put your clothes in?

 

 

Depends on who is doing the wash. I usually don't, but I think my wife does. Are you saying that we should or should not do that?

[Baldkin]

You should do that.

 

The detergent reacts with the water and if it is concentrated (in spots) it might be causing a reaction that is causing those spots.

[Patrick425]

Thanks Baldkin! I'll keep that in mind when I'm doing laundry.

[hawing]

Does the pattern of the spots match the pattern of the drain holes in your washer drum? If it does, your washer could be at least a partial culprit. If your washer is older, it might be worth occasionally running a cycle with no clothes and vinegar in place of detergent - that can sometimes remove gunk. There are also commercial products that you can add to a no-clothes cycle (Tide has a washing machine cleaner product, for example), but vinegar is less expensive.

 

When I googled "dark spots on clothes after washing," a common theme among the results I perused was that the spots were oily/greasy and blue Dawn dishwashing liquid (not other brands or colors, go figure) could get the spots out. That might be worth trying if your spots are also oily/greasy and you don't want to spend a lot of $ to replace your dress shirts.

[RobDeer 45]

Could be a Gremlin in there!

[NeedMoreFans]

We were supposed to get our fireplace replaced today. We were going from wood to gas. The guy who came out initially to check out our fireplace suggested it, and I liked the idea. The installers get here today, and they said the sales guy was wrong and it can't be done. Then another guy came out, and said that it could potentially be done, but it will require more work. I'm not so pleased with this.

[rondoman]

One thing I have done my whole life is to add dirty clothes to the washing machine and then put the detergent on top of the clothes. Never have had any issues and thats the way my mom always did it.

 

One day I checked the back of the detergent bottle and it actually says to add the detergent first, and then put the clothes in.

 

Anyone do it like me?

[rwa12]

Rondo,

 

I did for the longest time, until I used an offbrand detergent, and it pretty much bleached swirls in everything that it touched.

 

Now I use the tide packs. They are awesome.

[TURBO]

Watching an NFL game is getting to be pretty tedious.

 

The amount of commercials is absolutely disgusting. It feels like football is taking a back seat to the commercials, and it is getting old real fast... Best solution, if you can stay away is to DVR the games you want to watch, then FF through the commercials. Downside is that it just isn't LIVE, but the amount of time wasted for commercial breaks is just ridiculous.

[rondoman]

Watching an NFL game is getting to be pretty tedious.

 

The amount of commercials is absolutely disgusting. It feels like football is taking a back seat to the commercials, and it is getting old real fast... Best solution, if you can stay away is to DVR the games you want to watch, then FF through the commercials. Downside is that it just isn't LIVE, but the amount of time wasted for commercial breaks is just ridiculous.

 

I figure it's just me, but I seriously can barely watch the NFL anymore. Between the ridiculous number of commercial breaks, to the horribly called officiating, and the NFL wanting to expand to London I just cant take it anymore. Thursday games every week that are just sloppy in all phases. Injuries taking out players all over the league.

 

I also think the league has become so watered down that there is just a ton of bad football being played all around the league. Yesterday had one of the most exciting games of the season between Dallas and Detroit, and yet that game featured two teams that tried to give the game away over and over.

 

I used to plan to sit and watch football all day every Sunday, but not once this year have I actually sat down and watched a game from start to finish. It's just boring and monotonous to me.

 

And 100% right on about the commercials. I remember about 5 years ago going to my first NFL game ever. And after the kickoff, after a touchdown, etc, the players would huddle up on the field and just stand around for what seemed like an eternity. Then I realized, oh, TV is airing commercials right now. There is no flow to the game whatsoever. Touchdown, commercial. Kickoff, commercial. Turnover, commerical. They never used to go to commercials during challenges either but that's the norm now. It's completely out of hand at this point.

[fondybrewfan]

I think that is a little unfair to the NFL. Kickoffs are just a natural point for commercials just as inning changes and pitching changes are for MLB. Over the course of a broadcast the percentage of commercials for NFL vs. MLB is probably about the same (eliiminating halftime). I have never noticed it all that much at home although it does get a little annoying if you attend in person. I prefer watching MLB games in person much moreso than NFL but I find watching NFL on TV is far more enjoyable than MLB.

[1992casey]

The Packer game immediately following the Kennedy assassination wasn't televised. I recall reading that it took 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete. With current telecasts, I think the issue is getting about 20 seconds of action between two long blocks of commercials.

[jerichoholicninja]

If it wasn't for fantasy football I wouldn't dedicate as much time to watching football as I do. I bet a good chunk of their audience is the same way. If it wasn't for gambling and fantasy football I don't think football would be as big as it is and with all the new research about concussions and the general propensity for injuries I see it's popularity declining over the next few years.

[JJHardy7]

I think the NFL is very sustainable if they get rid of the rules regarding head shots, etc. I think with these rules in place over time it could hurt the sport since there will be more hits on legs that have more serious consequences (in the short-term). I honestly feel like they should have never changed the rules. These guys make a ton of money. I do think that players from other generations do deserve their fair share for head injuries, but today guys know the issues. If you don't like it, don't play and get a 'normal' job.

 

I do think at the same time that MLB and NBA aren't doing themselves any favors to gain market share...so it is the NFL's to lose at this point and that could very well happen over time if the rules get more and more conservative.

 

EDIT: I do want to clarify that at younger levels I think concussions and proper coaching is huge. I am specifically talking about guys in the pros, but work needs to continue to be done to ensure young kids, high schoolers, and college folks are coach appropriately.

[JimH5]

I think the NFL is very sustainable if they get rid of the rules regarding head shots, etc. I think with these rules in place over time it could hurt the sport since there will be more hits on legs that have more serious consequences (in the short-term). I honestly feel like they should have never changed the rules. These guys make a ton of money. I do think that players from other generations do deserve their fair share for head injuries, but today guys know the issues. If you don't like it, don't play and get a 'normal' job.

 

I hope that enough people realize that this sport they use for entertainment leaves a trail of broken bodies and shortened lives. How much fun is it to know that some retired guys have to move into darkened rooms for days, just to cope with the pain?

 

Do we really want to watch the NFL, knowing what the aftermath is? Aaron Rodgers seems like a great guy. Smart, funny, generous. . .If you cared about him, why wouldn't you encourage him to retire today? Look at what has become of Jim McMahon. Brett Favre recently said he has some memory loss. What are these guys giving up for the glory? How glorious is it for us to financially support this carnage?

[bani1717]

On Sunday, October 20th, there was an article in the Journal Sentinel talking about Cobb's injury from the perspective that we are likely to see more leg injuries due to defenders going low to avoid the head shots. Jermichael Finley was quoted in that article as saying that he'd rather be hit in the head than in the legs.

 

That afternoon, he suffered what very easily could have been a career ending injury that could have left him partially paralyzed.

[Patrick425]

Occasionaly I'll order flowers for my wife. The problem I have is that A) she works from 6:30 - 3:30 and B) she been at the same place for 25 years, has a ton of vacation time, and I never know when she is going to take a half day. I don't want them delivered to the house and I know that she would rather have them delivered to her at work. I don't understand why florists don't offer to guarantee that flowers will be delivered by a certain time. Heck, I'd even be willing to pay an extra $5 or $10 for that guarantee. All of the on-line national florists tell me the same thing, we can request it but there is no guarantee. Even when I call a local florists directly, they even give me a hard time about guaranteeing a delivery time and their prices are much higher than the online florists (and normally I can get a promo code with the online florists).

 

edit: Also...who's ordering this? Hey thanks for the head of lettuce with the random radish looking thing in it.

 

[RobDeer 45]

Hey, throw in some ranch dressing and you got yourself a business idea!

[RobDeer 45]

I get why guys are saying that stuff, but I don't think they've really thought it through. They think, oh, just getting my bell rung, worst case, be out for a week. But I don't think they really think about being paralyzed, severe memory loss, shortness of life, or even death from a blow to the head. Some guys may be willing to take a shorter life for the fame and glory, but I don't think many have really weighed the positives and negatives.

 

I think the league is going to be extremely different in 10 years. Either they have to get way better helmets or they won't actually be able to hit guys, just grab them and throw them down. I bet they will make a rule in the near future you can't hit below the waist, which will make it impossible to hit anyone.

[NeedMoreFans]

Christmas is coming up, and that only means one thing...NMF is arguing with family about when we are going to get together! Hooray for me liking the holiday season less and less every year!

[hawing]

Christmas is coming up, and that only means one thing...NMF is arguing with family about when we are going to get together! Hooray for me liking the holiday season less and less every year!

At the hawing Thanksgiving last week, I learned that my sister's family is unavailable for December 25 because of a rare visit from her distant in-laws. I get that things like that happen, but the discussion of it gave me the distinct impression that the other households already knew about it.

 

I think sometimes the extended fams (both mine and the SO's) assume - maybe even subconsciously - that we are endlessly flexible because we don't have kids. However, that doesn't automatically follow. The Tuesday-Wednesday placement of this year's Eve and Day holidays, plus UW-Madison exams ending on the 21st, means that I will have no student help at work on the 21st, 23rd, and 26th - and now I have to ask my non-student colleagues to help on the 26th if I want to see my family. (The surrounding weekends are not an option for them for other in-law reasons.)

 

I'm keenly aware that these are first world problems, but striking the annual balance between the expectations of each extended family does take away from the general fun of the holiday season. Some years I feel more jerked around than others, and this is shaping up to be one of those years.

[TURBO]

Christmas is coming up, and that only means one thing...NMF is arguing with family about when we are going to get together! Hooray for me liking the holiday season less and less every year!

 

Always a struggle for my family too....

[hawing]

The feeling-jerked-around holiday season continues. Among my extended family (seven adults and four kids), we've increasingly come to share Amazon wish lists with each other. My brother's and sister's households are so perpetually uberbusy that it's a way to save them time, and for the kids whose preferences Aunt Hawing, Uncle S.O. and Grandma don't always know (because we don't stay constantly on top of all kid gift trends), we have kind of a road map.

 

So tonight I get a message from the person who has my name asking if I've got any ideas besides the ones on Amazon. She wants to do her shopping next weekend and be done with it. I know that exactly what my gift turns out to be is small potatoes in the grand scheme, but I am not sure what these folks want from us anymore. When did Amazon cease to be the handiest thing for these super busy people? I created the wish list at their request!

[logan82]

How could you not use Amazon? Especially if you have the Prime and free 2 day shipping. I don't know why anybody would want to actually step into a store this month with Amazon available.