OT: Sens Lounge XCVII: "Zorf; 21 times!" Edition

[Caeldan]

Yeah, dogs should typically be transitioned to new foods, especially if it's a change in protein source.
Could be an allergy though too.

 

[CanadianHockey]

Where are you studying CH, and what are you taking? Is this done through the military?

It's a military ammo course taught at RMC.

I've worked with powerpoint before. 750 slides is a bit excessive IMO. You should be able to get your message across in way less slides than that.

Agreed 100%.

I had a similar class in first year engineering, about 100 slides per 50m lecture. Geology 101. Those were actually overhead slides though, not powerpoint.

The trick to that class was using the past exam database, and studying from those questions over the past 5 years, it gave you a feel of what was important and what wasn't.

Unfortunately, I don't have that option. My roommate did the course two years ago, and can confirm that content has changed drastically with the turnover of instructors.

Yeah, the worst is listening to somebody spending ten minutes talking about something you read in the 3 seconds after the slide came up.

Agreed. I tend to tune out of lecturers that follow this teaching style.

I think it depends on the context of the presentation. If it's really technical like a hard science I would want the presenter referring to the illustrations on the slides. If it's less technical then I don't mind the presenter sometimes using a brief phrase on the slide to keep things on track. I don't mind the slides being a crutch so long as they're still informative.

750 review slides and 150 per lecture is insane. I have seen 10-80 and some of these were for 3 hour lectures. 80 seemed excessive and you could tell by the 2 & 2 1/2 hour marks that the lecturer was rushing to get through it before the timeslot was up because they had fallen behind.

I guess the lecturers I had tended to minimize content on slides and talk more.

The other issue there is that a 3 hour lecture is a long time to expect someone to be completely attentive, even with a five or ten minute break.

 

[tony d]

Thanks everyone for your tips. Made a vet appointment for her today. Hope she gets on alright but food allergy seems to be the consensus for what is. Will keep you all updated.

Here's some powerpoint tips as it has been a common discussion here as of late:

Top Ten Slide Tips

 

[MakeOttawaGreatAgain]

I generally struggle with weight gain (ie, I have trouble gaining weight), and this is because I just lack the appetite / discipline to consistently eat at a high enough caloric surplus. I'm allergic to all types of nuts, so that leaves me with very few options that aren't really sugary, greasy, or expensive (meat is great, but a nice slab of beef isn't cheap). This week, however, I invented the perfect antidote:

The sunflower and milk smoothie. Literally just 100g of dried sunflower seeds and a cup of homo milk into my magic bullet. 809 calories. Best part... it actually tastes kind of good! Nutrition wise, it's pretty good, and it costs ~$1.50 to make. We should send this recipe to Africa. They can grow sunflower seeds and raise goats/cattle all year. Where's my Nobel Prize?

Maybe I have a terrible sense of taste, but if anyone wants an EXTREMELY cheap, easy, and relatively healthy meal that is decently satiating (it's ~ 1/2 fat, 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbohydrate, so you have something to metabolize short, medium, and long term.), try sunflower seeds and milk!

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[NyQuil]

My business is in Power Point for the most part, so I've been delivering them on a professional basis as part of my job for 15 years.

NyQuil's 10 Rules of Power Point (maybe they're the same as the article - I forgot to check before typing this up):

1. My timing rule of thumb is one minute per slide. You'd think that you can go faster, but once you are up there, usually you can't.

And that includes title pages and table of contents slides. You will be surprised how much you can talk once you get going.

2. Don't ever never ever read your slides aloud.

Ever.

Let the audience read the slides. They have eyes. Talk to the slides but don't read them.

People can read slides in their head much faster than you can read them out loud, so they end up sitting there waiting for you to finish.

3. Building on 2, your slides should summarize your points for the most part. They should not be detailed content. You can create a report or document in Power Point format but you'd better not be delivering that document orally in a presentation.

The interesting detail is what you provide verbally, following the order of your major points.

4. As a result, the font size should be fairly large, because they are just the major points. People in the back won't be forced to squint. If you have more points than can fit on a slide, then break the list up into two slides.

5. If it's a longer presentation, try to show a Table of Contents or list of topics prior to just launching into it.

Tell them where you are going, how you are getting there, and where you will end up. Otherwise people don't understand why you are discussing things in a certain order and why it may be important.

6. To add additional structure, I like to use a system for my numbered slide titles (e.g. main titles with subtitle underneath, and then (1 of 2, 2 of 2) in brackets or something if I have to use two or more slides for a single issue or topic. People will inevitably ask for your slides and having a system for organizing the information into topics and subtopics helps.

Also, add slide numbers in case someone drops all the print-outs and needs to put them back in order.

Take the time to use Slide Masters properly and it allows you to make easy edits without having to change everything if you have to move things around in your presentation or cut it down for a different audience or timeframe. If you do it right, the slide numbers and topic/chapter numbers will automatically update when you move things around or add or remove content.

7. However, try to keep your presentations to 20 minutes. If you have to go longer, break them up and have question periods in between or discussions. People's eyes glaze over and they stop paying attention after about 20 minutes.

8. Try not to have slide after slide of just text. You have to add some tables, graphics, pictures, something, to break up the monotony of walls of text.

And use colours. I've seen actual delivery of black and white presentations and they make my eyes bleed and make me wonder if I've travelled back in time to the 1950s.

You can highlight particularly important text using a font in a different colour to attract attention. Don't actually use the highlighter.

9. Make sure you are clear to the audience on your Q and A policy before you start.

Some presenters like to have people interrupt whenever they feel like it, but often these questions are answered in a subsequent slide or two. They can also mess with your overall timing.

Typically I put in discrete slides where they can ask questions after a topic has been covered and I account for that in my timing.

10. Have fun out there. Be engaging. That's a big reason why reading is a big no-no. You want to make eye contact, and talk in conversational, easy to project language.

Use personal anecdotes or interesting trivia if you have to drive home a point.

I've seen incredible presentations on the most boring material imaginable and absolutely horrid presentations of truly fascinating stuff. The delivery is very important.

 

[saskriders]

So the girl I have been seeing a bit is from Winnipeg, has no family here, and is doing nothing for Christmas. Should I invite her to my family's Christmas? Problem is with both of us working retail jobs and being on complete opposite ends of the city we have only met in person a couple times (hopefully again next week depending on schedules) even though we text for a bit most nights.

 

[saskriders]

On another note, I have been looking at some information about the Faroe Islands lately, and it looks like an awesome place. I think I would like to visit someday.

 

[maclean]

If you've only seen each other a couple times inviting her to your family Christmas might be a bit of an overstep. I suppose if you were already hanging out and the topic came up you could invite her casually, like, If you wanna come have family dinner with us I'm sure it'd be fine. But I don't know. You might also want to take into account the fact that you're always talking about how crazy your mom is But if she's around for the holidays without family that's definitely an opportunity for you to step up seeing each other a bunch

 

[NyQuil]

So the girl I have been seeing a bit is from Winnipeg, has no family here, and is doing nothing for Christmas. Should I invite her to my family's Christmas? Problem is with both of us working retail jobs and being on complete opposite ends of the city we have only met in person a couple times (hopefully again next week depending on schedules) even though we text for a bit most nights.

Most people are lonely at Christmas so it would be a nice gesture.

It would be good if there was someone else there who wasn't family so she didn't feel like the centre of attention from all your relatives.

 

[TheBradyBunch]

So the girl I have been seeing a bit is from Winnipeg, has no family here, and is doing nothing for Christmas. Should I invite her to my family's Christmas? Problem is with both of us working retail jobs and being on complete opposite ends of the city we have only met in person a couple times (hopefully again next week depending on schedules) even though we text for a bit most nights.

My advice - tell her what you said. You know she has no family and no plans and, while you aren't trying to rush forward in the relationship, it's not a big deal to you or your family to have one extra guest. The more the merrier!

And then, when you introduce her to people, just say her name. That way you avoid the awkwardness of choosing between "friend" and "girlfriend", neither of which are entirely true. Just, "Hey, Aunt Gloria, meet Susan." And then step back. It's nearly foolproof, trust me.

Merry Christmas!

 

[Harbinger]

my worst habbit right now is late night snacking,

 

[tony d]

Update on our dog: We had her to the vet today and it's nothing to worry about. Her fur loss looks to be due to reaction from the anesthesia that was given to her during her surgery. We're relieved to know this as a lot of thoughts went through our heads about what was wrong. Thanks everyone for your concern.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Glad to hear it! Going through stuff with your pet can be awful. They can’t actually tell you what’s wrong.

 

[Here I Pageau Again]

my worst habbit right now is late night snacking,

My worst habit right now is late night Amazon shopping + eating. Not good for my body or my bank account!

Thank goodness this baby is starting to sleep through the night!

Also come the new year I gotta get this body back in shape! But I mean I'll enjoy Christmas first!

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

The Last Jedi was pretty sweet.

Coulda trimmed a little bit out of it, but all in all a good movie!

 

[saskriders]

So yesterday my friend had an exam and we wanted to go to the pub for a steak sandwich. We googled what the nearby pubs had on special on Thursday and The Bull and Finch had a steak sandwich special. So I get there first and get a coke and a couple menus. So I notice that their menu says that the special is pasta. So my friend gets there and we ask the waitress and she says no, that is the other Bull and Finch. So we talk about it and we decide we wanted the steak special and are going to go to the other Bull and Finch because it isn't too far. We let the waitress know and I say "I had a coke. Do I have to [pay]?". She goes and checks with the manager and I end up having to pay for just a coke. So we end up going to the other Bull and Finch, but it has the same specials and they tell us that we were looking at the wrong website and should have been looking at bullandfinchbars.com instead of bullandfinch.com which is for a restaurant not affiliated with them. But even putting Bull and Finch Bars in Google the right website is something like the 8th result. Now is it just me, or is it a little ridiculous that they made me pay for the pop. I didn't make a scene out of it, but it seems like bad customer service over what would have cost the restaurant pennies.

 

[MakeOttawaGreatAgain]

So yesterday my friend had an exam and we wanted to go to the pub for a steak sandwich. We googled what the nearby pubs had on special on Thursday and The Bull and Finch had a steak sandwich special. So I get there first and get a coke and a couple menus. So I notice that their menu says that the special is pasta. So my friend gets there and we ask the waitress and she says no, that is the other Bull and Finch. So we talk about it and we decide we wanted the steak special and are going to go to the other Bull and Finch because it isn't too far. We let the waitress know and I say "I had a coke. Do I have to [pay]?". She goes and checks with the manager and I end up having to pay for just a coke. So we end up going to the other Bull and Finch, but it has the same specials and they tell us that we were looking at the wrong website and should have been looking at bullandfinchbars.com instead of bullandfinch.com which is for a restaurant not affiliated with them. But even putting Bull and Finch Bars in Google the right website is something like the 8th result. Now is it just me, or is it a little ridiculous that they made me pay for the pop. I didn't make a scene out of it, but it seems like bad customer service over what would have cost the restaurant pennies.

I mean, you had the coke and could have avoided the whole situation by calling. It's not their fault you didn't look at the right menu. I don't even understand why you would think you deserve a free drink. Having it for free wouldn't have even crossed my mind. It's not just the cost of the coke itself, but also the cost to clean it, to pay for the employees (waitress, bartender) who served you, and also the fact that you spent time hanging out in their establishment waiting for your friend. Not only that, but you took the time from the waitress and manager to have to deal with your request.

From their (and my) perspective, some guy came to their restaurant, ordered a beverage, looked at their menu, didn't like what he saw, and decided to take his business elsewhere. On top of that, he asked for a refund because they didn't have a menu item that they didn't even say that had.

That's what I think is ridiculous

 

[saskriders]

I mean, you had the coke and could have avoided the whole situation by calling. It's not their fault you didn't look at the right menu. I don't even understand why you would think you deserve a free drink. Having it for free wouldn't have even crossed my mind. It's not just the cost of the coke itself, but also the cost to clean it, to pay for the employees (waitress, bartender) who served you, and also the fact that you spent time hanging out in their establishment waiting for your friend. Not only that, but you took the time from the waitress and manager to have to deal with your request.

From their (and my) perspective, some guy came to their restaurant, ordered a beverage, looked at their menu, didn't like what he saw, and decided to take his business elsewhere. On top of that, he asked for a refund because they didn't have a menu item that they didn't even say that had.

That's what I think is ridiculous

It's also not my fault their website is hard to find and their business is easily confused with another in the same city. It is their fault for not making their website easier to find, and having their business share the name of another. I was there for less than 10 minutes and seen restaurants comp people for way more just because the person made a scene. All they have accomplished is that I am much less likely to go there in the future. I am perfectly fine with paying for a product and service that is given to me, but I dislike that they see customer service as worth less than a glass of pop.

 

[MakeOttawaGreatAgain]

It's also not my fault their website is hard to find and their business is easily confused with another in the same city. It is their fault for not making their website easier to find, and having their business share the name of another. I was there for less than 10 minutes and seen restaurants comp people for way more just because the person made a scene. All they have accomplished is that I am much less likely to go there in the future. I am perfectly fine with paying for a product and service that is given to me, but I dislike that they see customer service as worth less than a glass of pop.

That is a very bad attitude, dude. You weren't mistreated or misled by anyone associated with that restaurant. You are sounding extremely unreasonable. Honestly, if I was in the exact same situation as you (and I have definitely gone to a restaurant and had to leave a few minutes after sitting down) I wouldn't consider not paying, and not only that, I would still tip and say thank you to my waitress.

The only victim in this scenario seems to be the waitress who had to serve you.

 

[saskriders]

I did say thank you and tip the waitress. I did not get angry or anything. I just expected that that the business valued customer service more than the big markup on a drink that probably cost them 20 cents, and was surprised when they didn't. I do feel like I was misled as they decided to share a name with another business. I only remember complaining at a restaurant one other time when I politely said that I found the fries cold and they gave me a new one without charging me for a second. To me that is customer service. I didn't ask for a free drink, I didn't have any cash and mentioned to the waitress that I had a pop. I did expect that they would offer to comp the drink, and I kinda said "Am I going to have too..." After saying I had a coke. She said yes, I said I would need the machine, and she asked her manager about comping it without me saying anything else.

You can say that I had unreasonable expectations, but don't assume that I was rude to the waitress and made her a victim.


Also, for reference these are the two websites:

Wrong one that comes up way earlier on google: Bull & Finch

Right one (second page on google if you don't specify location): Bull & Finch Bars | Bridlewood & Southland Neighbourhood Pubs

Tell me that it isn't easy to get those mixed up.

 

[PatrickEaves]

The Last Jedi was pretty sweet.

Coulda trimmed a little bit out of it, but all in all a good movie!

Is Rey still a Mary Sue?

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Is Rey still a Mary Sue?

In the same way Luke Skywalker was. She's just incredibly powerful in the force

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

It's also not my fault their website is hard to find and their business is easily confused with another in the same city. It is their fault for not making their website easier to find, and having their business share the name of another. I was there for less than 10 minutes and seen restaurants comp people for way more just because the person made a scene. All they have accomplished is that I am much less likely to go there in the future. I am perfectly fine with paying for a product and service that is given to me, but I dislike that they see customer service as worth less than a glass of pop.

You drank a pop there, why wouldn't you have to pay for it?

 

[saskriders]

You drank a pop there, why wouldn't you have to pay for it?

After thinking about it some more and talking to some people I am now thinking maybe it was unreasonable for me to be expecting them to comp it (although I maintain that I was polite, and didn't exactly ask them to comp it, more asking if I needed to pay which I think is more defensible). However I still maintain that the customer service was bad as they made no attempt to apologize. There seems to be some link between the pubs as they share the same name, logo, and word mark. And when I put "Bull and Finch Bridlewood" into Google the top result is not the one in Bridlewood. If they are going to run their business that way they should be prepared for confusion from customers.