I'll take this one since Fabian probably has no idea. There are 2 IKEAs in Finland (Vantaa and Espoo), a third one is being built (Raisio) and a fourth one is planned (Tampere).
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
There are four times as many IKEAs in California as there are in Finland? Wow.
Do you pronounce it like the Americans do (eye - key - uh) or like the Germans do (ee - keh - ah)?
There are over six times as many people in California than there are in Finland. That might explain it a little.
As for pronounciation, it's a bit like the German one, but all letters are short.
Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA
Kyrsimys wrote:
There are over six times as many people in California than there are in Finland. That might explain it a little.
There are almost 250 times more people in China than there are in Finland, yet there is only one Chinese IKEA location. I don't think population has anything to do with it.
There are over six times as many people in California than there are in Finland. That might explain it a little.
There are almost 250 times more people in China than there are in Finland, yet there is only one Chinese IKEA location. I don't think population has anything to do with it.
Don't be a smartass, implicit in Kyrsimys' explanation was that California and Finland have comparable standards of living.
Dear Fabian,
Would you care to divulge your naughty secrets of the perfect poker face? Is the trick to think of something boring like the colour grey or an object like cardboard (the paper product, not the lovable forum member)?
Also, if you had to give 1 word to sum poker up, what would would it be?
I have no secrets, naughty or otherwise, about this. I don't play poker live, so I don't have much experience with poker faces.
In general though, a lot of it probably just comes down to experience. If you're playing in a huge pot that's really important to you because the difference between winning and losing it means paying next month's rent, you're going to have a hard time keeping an emotionally detached face. If you've played for a while and have been successful though, another $300 pot won't have any significance to you. You've already been in this spot hundreds of times, it's just another one of those times. Being able to see past the value of money when playing is really important, otherwise you'll probably go crazy losing those pots over and over again. Obviously, being this emotionally invested is probably going to show.
Of course, online, poker face is not important apart from the small consideration of maybe clicking too fast if you're bluffing because adrenaline is running high, or trying to fake weakness by waiting 10 seconds before pushing all your chips in with a great hand. It's not an important part of playing though as their are plenty of other factors deciding how quick you will act (how many tables you're playing, chatting on AIM/MSN, watching tv, surfing the web etc etc), and most people probably don't let these "timing tells" affect their decisions that much.
Poker in one word is rollercoaster. Actually maybe that's two words, roller coaster. Both financially (your results are going to go up and down a lot no matter what) and emotionally (you're going to feel like crap some of the time and like god some of the time).
I'm just gonna toss this out there ... if you find yourself too caught up in remembering all the times you've been hurt, there are a few non-toxic, non-addictive psychedelic drugs that can help you work through those emotions. Such an approach is perhaps not appropriate for everyone, but many people find such "psychic exploration" invaluable.
Thanks, but no thanks.
The strongest "drug" I ever take is an aspirin, and in average I take it approximately once a year. No kidding.
This is hella fun.
1. A guy wants to buy a DVD player/TV/PC/useful electronic device and wants to get the best model, but it's too expensive. He waits for it to get cheaper, and by the time it does there's a new product out that he wants that's too expensive, and the cycle repeats itself.
Can you explain the best way to solve this paradox?
2. How many IKEAs are there in Sweden? In Finland?
3. Do you at all mildly regret making this thread?
4. Who are your influences?
1. I completely fail to see a paradox here. Seems like a totally standard consumer situation to me. "Solving" this would obviously be to settle for stuff worse than absolute top quality, or start spending more money.
2. www.wikipedia.org or www.google.com
3. Yes. Not in general because I think it's been great, but when asked 10 non-serious questions in a row or something I might feel "this is stupid why am I bothering?". Also, the thought of a few of my friends or old friends stumbling across this and reading it isn't very exciting. Not too worried about that though.
4. Tough one. My parents and sisters of course, subconsciously at the very least. Also friends I had throughout adolescence, those guys helped form who I am no doubt. Nowadays I can't think of many I actively look up to and try to be more like. Certainly there are character traits in others I wish I could steal from them and stuff, but if that qualified I could mention pretty much everyone I know.
Thanks, but no thanks.
The strongest "drug" I ever take is an aspirin, and in average I take it approximately once a year. No kidding.
It sounds almost as if the concept of mind and mood altering drugs seems abhorrent to you. Might this sort of closed-minded attitude be part of the reason you have problems being as socially involved as you would like to be in the "real world"?
Dear Fabian,
I pronounce and spell the word "weapontry" with a t, and I have done this all my life. It was recently brought to my attention that this is an incorrect spelling. Where did that "t" come from and why do I say it? Should I keep saying it or make a conscious effort to remember the correct pronunciation each time I use the word?
More seriously, how close are your close friends? Do you have a single best friend, or do you have a group of close friends that are about equally close? Do you feel you can talk about anything with those people or do you tend to keep some things to yourself?
someone is out there who will like you. take off your mask so they can find you faster.
I support the new Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun.
Might this sort of closed-minded attitude be part of the reason you have problems being as socially involved as you would like to be in the "real world"?
Dear Fabian,
I pronounce and spell the word "weapontry" with a t, and I have done this all my life. It was recently brought to my attention that this is an incorrect spelling. Where did that "t" come from and why do I say it? Should I keep saying it or make a conscious effort to remember the correct pronunciation each time I use the word?
More seriously, how close are your close friends? Do you have a single best friend, or do you have a group of close friends that are about equally close? Do you feel you can talk about anything with those people or do you tend to keep some things to yourself?
The reason you're spelling it weapontry instead of weaponry is because you were taught that way, why, I have no idea. Shocker I know. You should definitely make a conscious effort to correct it now that you know you've been taught wrong. If you were unable or unwilling to change when you find new information (this goes for pretty much anything) telling you that you should change, what would the point be in learning stuff at all? I think you'll find this particular change to be rather easy, it shouldn't take much effort at all.
I don't have many close friends. I did a few years ago when I was still in school. Since then, I've kinda lost track of most of them, and I haven't met many new people to replace the old ones. A lot of this has to do with moving to new cities where I don't know anyone and not being great at making good first impressions, as well as not putting myself in many situations where I would meet new interesting people to begin with.
I have two very good friends I still keep in touch with on an almost daily basis, who I've known since forever. We've all moved away from each other, but that's what the internet is for. I can talk about everything with these guys, although it's pretty rare that I do. Actually I talk a lot more about "everything" with JXQ. As for people in real life I can talk to about anything, that would be my little sister, who I'm close with. No one else though.
Dear Fabian,
How am I supposed to write like you and Bisqwit do?
I understand everything you two say, but I still can't come up with the proper words when I write and end up using a "standard, bordering on uneducated" vocabulary. I wanna write pretty* too :(
I am madly interested in this Google tech talk. It's about software exploits and programming.
I'm only 15, but I want to learn this as fast as possible (that is, I want to at least know programming** in a year or two) since I find it awesome.
Should I teach myself by the internet (Quick result, but possible gaps in knowledge),
or wait for university (Foolproof when it comes to knowledge, but I have to wait for several years)?
*I think that the proper word here is "prettily", but I don't know.
** In a language that isn't BASIC
Dear Fabian,
How am I supposed to write like you and Bisqwit do?
I understand everything you two say, but I still can't come up with the proper words when I write and end up using a "standard, bordering on uneducated" vocabulary. I wanna write pretty* too :(
I am madly interested in this Google tech talk. It's about software exploits and programming.
I'm only 15, but I want to learn this as fast as possible (that is, I want to at least know programming** in a year or two) since I find it awesome.
Should I teach myself by the internet (Quick result, but possible gaps in knowledge),
or wait for university (Foolproof when it comes to knowledge, but I have to wait for several years)?
*I think that the proper word here is "prettily", but I don't know.
** In a language that isn't BASIC
Hey I hear you. It is frustrating to feel limited in what you're able to express. I feel like that all the time when using English, everything feels so much smoother when you read a text a native speaker has written.
Your English seems to be very good for a 15 year old though, so try not feeling too bad about it. You're certainly better than most of your peers. The key to getting better is simple, though it's a boring answer. You have to use your English, that's it. I bet you read a lot already, which is great, but if you start writing (or talking though that's trickier) more you will definitely see results, even though it can take a while for you to notice. What you should do is to really focus on getting better. This means forcing yourself to use difficult words or more advanced sentence construction. It means being conscious about using weird (non-intuitive) grammar just for the sake of learning to express yourself beyond the standard "I like cats. I am bad at English".
It's tough. I try very hard to not screw up when it comes to grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes, and I also try very hard to choose more difficult ways of expressing myself, so as to not sound like a 7 year old. It pisses me off to no end when some douchebag native speaker goes on like "lol this guy can't tell the difference between is and are hahaha :) :) :)" when they couldn't write even the simplest sentence in ANY other language to save their life and have no idea what kind of effort it takes to not sound like a 4th grader when using a language you're not used to and don't know extremely well. I read and reread every single sentence I write in English to spot mistakes, even when talking casually on IRC or whatever. Everything gets a double (and triple) take because I want to learn and improve, and I also don't want to inconvenience the people I talk to by making them guess what the hell I'm trying to say.
About the programming thing. I think it's great you're interested in something and want to learn and get better. I definitely think you should start right away if you have the motivation to, however I think you shouldn't set the bar too high. That is, you probably can't expect to become super awesome within a year or two, unless you're really driven and very enthusiastic about this stuff. But definitely give it a shot, then when you eventually reach university you'll have a head start on those who didn't think like you when they were 15. The knowledge you already possess at that time will also be a great help to get a deeper understanding of the things you'll be taught in class.
Just a side note: Your English is much better than many people who were actually born and raised in England. :)
I personally can't stand people that use "TXT SPK" (u instead of you, 2 instead of to/too etc.) on the internet, as if not having to press two letters will save them anything worth looking like an idiot for. I've noticed that it's usually only native speakers that use that sort of shorthand writing, so that's my basis for saying this.
I've noticed that it's usually only native speakers that use that sort of shorthand writing, so that's my basis for saying this.
I wish it was like that.
In truth, however, many non-native speakers use such shortcuts, usually to conceal their bad English or appear better at it (knowing the slang and such). I see that more often than I would want to.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Hey I hear you. It is frustrating to feel limited in what you're able to express. I feel like that all the time when using English, everything feels so much smoother when you read a text a native speaker has written.
Your English seems to be very good for a 15 year old though, so try not feeling too bad about it. You're certainly better than most of your peers. The key to getting better is simple, though it's a boring answer. You have to use your English, that's it. I bet you read a lot already, which is great, but if you start writing (or talking though that's trickier) more you will definitely see results, even though it can take a while for you to notice. What you should do is to really focus on getting better. This means forcing yourself to use difficult words or more advanced sentence construction. It means being conscious about using weird (non-intuitive) grammar just for the sake of learning to express yourself beyond the standard "I like cats. I am bad at English".
It's tough. I try very hard to not screw up when it comes to grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes, and I also try very hard to choose more difficult ways of expressing myself, so as to not sound like a 7 year old. It pisses me off to no end when some douchebag native speaker goes on like "lol this guy can't tell the difference between is and are hahaha :) :) :)" when they couldn't write even the simplest sentence in ANY other language to save their life and have no idea what kind of effort it takes to not sound like a 4th grader when using a language you're not used to and don't know extremely well. I read and reread every single sentence I write in English to spot mistakes, even when talking casually on IRC or whatever. Everything gets a double (and triple) take because I want to learn and improve, and I also don't want to inconvenience the people I talk to by making them guess what the hell I'm trying to say.
About the programming thing. I think it's great you're interested in something and want to learn and get better. I definitely think you should start right away if you have the motivation to, however I think you shouldn't set the bar too high. That is, you probably can't expect to become super awesome within a year or two, unless you're really driven and very enthusiastic about this stuff. But definitely give it a shot, then when you eventually reach university you'll have a head start on those who didn't think like you when they were 15. The knowledge you already possess at that time will also be a great help to get a deeper understanding of the things you'll be taught in class.
Whoa. When I came here in the first place I just thought of you as the "silly forum comedian", but it turns out that you're an awesome guy.
Thanks, man. You're a great person, and that help you gave me... I'd be lying if I said it wasn't spot on.
Also: "I read and reread every single sentence I write in English to spot mistakes, even when talking casually on IRC or whatever. Everything gets a double (and triple) take because I want to learn and improve, and I also don't want to inconvenience the people I talk to by making them guess what the hell I'm trying to say."
Holy crap, are you me?
Also: "I read and reread every single sentence I write in English to spot mistakes, even when talking casually on IRC or whatever. Everything gets a double (and triple) take because I want to learn and improve, and I also don't want to inconvenience the people I talk to by making them guess what the hell I'm trying to say."
Holy crap, are you me?
That is so for every person who truly wants to (citing Fabian) learn and improve his language, whether native or not.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Dear Fabian,
What are some of your favorite places to travel? What are places you'd like to travel in the future?
Prinsesstårta,
JXQ
I've been to Malaysia twice. That was super duper awesome, but I think a big part of that was living for free in a super awesome hotel (my dad was there for work so they comped it). I've taken lots of sun/bathing vacations to various touristy spots with my family throughout the years. Multiple times in Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, stuff like that. I like being able to just relax and don't do anything special when on vacation, but I'm guessing in the future if I were to travel that would not be the primary reason.
I want to visit the US at some point. I've never been and I'm definitely not convinced I'd like it, especially not long term. It should be experienced though, I'd like to live in New York or Los Angeles for maybe a few months to try it out.
In general though my dream places to travel to would mostly be chosen for their beauty. I've seen some insanely hot pictures posted by someone recently back from vacations, of sunsets on the beach in tropical environments or amazing waterfalls in the rain forest. I'd love to see stuff like that even though I'm not normally that much of a nature person.
I also enjoyed visiting Thailand last winter, I hope to go back for a more extended period in the future. I often don't enjoy visiting big cities very much, but living in Bangkok for a while before moving out to one of the islands (which would also qualify under the beauty clause above) would be a pretty ideal 3-6 month visit. I've read very much about westerners' (mostly Americans) experiences of living in Thailand, and it has made me very eager to try it out myself. Who knows if I'll ever get my ass out of my chair and actually go through with it though, I'm absolutely horrible with following through with my plans. Especially now that I have school etc.
I hope to be able to travel a lot in the future. Ideally my line of work would allow me to take enough time off to do so.
