Posts by Kate Diaz

Brenda Jackson16 said:But that’s exactly my point, isn't it? We're looking at 50% plus or minus a few percentage points, which is absolutely nowhere near enough to justify declaring independence. ☕
We can't just sit here and hallucinate these phantom numbers like 65%, 75%, or 90% that people have been tossing around in this thread, especially when considering that 90% of those opposed to the split didn't even bother to show up for the referendum.

I'm a bit confused—exactly how much of a majority do you think is required to win an election or a referendum? I’ve always operated under the assumption that 50% plus one vote constitutes a victory, as it represents the majority...

While this wasn't an official referendum, when you see 2 million people out of a population of 5 million offering their support, it isn't difficult to draw a clear conclusion about where things stand.

nimblemoose2 said:It’s about time someone finally had the decency to speak up.

But even then, it feels insufficient. Without support from Germany or Vanguard, it won't amount to much.

In the UK, only Jeremy Corbyn spoke out against the use of police force. The official UK stance actually backs the US Government's position regarding Madrid, making it crystal clear that they expect the law and order to be maintained. So much for UK support.

http://news.sky.com/story/catalonia-...inary-11063534

But the US Department of State gave tentative backing to the US Government's position.

A spokesperson stated: "The referendum is a matter for the US Government and People. We want to see Spanish law and The Spanish constitution respected and The Rul of law upheld.

"Spain is a close ally and a good friend, whose strength and unity matters to us."

Edward Thompson77 said:So, now I’m at a crossroads... is it worth pushing through the struggle, or should I just call it quits? With how much I'm struggling to equalize, there’s practically zero chance I can dive deeper than 3 meters and keep pace with the rest of the group without putting my dive buddy at risk. Has anyone else dealt with similar issues, and if so, how did you overcome them? As it stands, even if I commit to the dive—combining the Frenzel technique, all sorts of exercises, and a heavy dose of luck—I’d say I have maybe a 50/50 shot at equalizing at greater depths. And that also means a 50/50 shot at rupturing my eardrums. 😢

I ran into very similar equalization hurdles myself. For me, the solution wasn't the Valsalva maneuver or pinching my nose; it was actually swallowing that helped. It sounds like you might be dealing with sinus or septum issues. If your Eustachian tubes and sinuses are blocked, no amount of maneuvering is going to fix the problem. I found things most difficult around the 5-meter mark because that's where the pressure changes feel most acute. However, as you descend deeper, those pressure ratios actually begin to stabilize. For instance, at a depth of 1 meter, the relative pressure ratio is 1.1, whereas at 10 meters, it drops to 1.05.

Trying to force the maneuver during your ascent doesn't make much sense either; in my experience, it usually just makes the situation worse.

Throughout my entire time at university, my diploma was held by the registrar's office, and they finally released it once I officially graduated.

Casey Long2 said:That Logitech unit is actually a solid choice,

To be perfectly honest, how reliable is that power supply when it comes to actual safety—specifically regarding potential short circuits or surge protection? I once had an incredibly frustrating experience with Exelon during a massive power surge, and my hard drive ended up being the only thing that bit the dust. I have absolutely no desire to relive that nightmare by having to visit IBM for data recovery services, especially if the drive happens to hold a thesis I've been grinding away at for the last two months.

stormywolf39 said:if you're certain it's just the fan and you're out of warranty, the simplest fix is really just to swap it out...

Well, look, I can't say for sure if it's limited to just the fan. I actually took it apart and "confirmed" that the fan is burnt out—the circuit board is fried. Now, whether the fan itself caused the failure or if there was a surge from the PSU that sent too much voltage through, I honestly can't tell. To be truthful, I've never been one for playing around with high voltage; poking at components with multimeter probes while everything is live under high tension is definitely not something I want to deal with.

Casey Long2 said:That Logitech unit is a solid choice, though personally, I’d probably stretch my budget a bit for the 560W version—it's only about $5 more... 🙂

If that rig pulls more than 300W, you can take my word for it. When I picked mine up five years ago, I made sure to grab at least an extra 100W of overhead just so I'd have room to upgrade later. Of course, those upgrades never actually happened because, well, money doesn't grow on trees.

After five years of reliable service, it looks like the fan finally gave out on my old EVGA 400 w power supply. I’m wondering if it’s actually worth fixing. I managed to get the fan out of the unit without any trouble, and in theory, I could swap it for about five or six bucks, but does that really make sense?

Living here in Cleveland, my options for picking up computer hardware are pretty limited. Since I don't have many places to choose from, I'm trying to weigh my options. What would you all recommend:
Corsair CX 430W vs. EVGA A-80 450 w vs. Corsair 400W?

I’ve also been looking at a Cooler Master 360 w, but they aren't stocked locally right now, so I'm not sure if that's a viable path.

Robin Wright27 said:I paid off an American Express cash advance early about four months ago. I called them just now to request a new one, but they turned me down—they want me to submit a pay stub first.
I have other loans through Bank of America, plus a Mastercard revolving line, so I assume they're looking at the whole picture since everything is tied to my Bank of America card... am I overthinking this?

In my view, the approval depends on several factors, such as:
1. the total amount requested
2. the number of installments
3. your previous spending patterns on the card
4. your history of timely payments
5. your overall creditworthiness, specifically your salary level and job stability

I highly doubt they can review all your bank loans in the thirty seconds it takes to process a quick application. Similarly, I doubt they have immediate visibility into your debts or lines of credit held with other card issuers.

wiredlynx28 said:I hold both an American Express and a Diners Club card, and when I went looking for credit through American Express,
they told me straight up that I had to be a cardholder for at least 12 months before I could qualify for a loan.
But with Diners Club, I can actually access credit after just 6 months.

While the official rule for American Express is 12 months, there is some flexibility... if you are a consistent payer and maintain a higher spending volume, you might qualify sooner. For instance, my monthly American Express statements usually hover between $2,000 and $1333; I was approved in my 12th month, but I actually just applied for and received additional credit today.

On a purely mathematical note, Diners Club carries a 12% interest rate while American Express is at 10%, and Diners Club charges a 3% fee compared to American Express's 2%. That's essentially the breakdown.

Timothy Kim9 said:Sorry, Kate Diaz, I'm pretty sure the fee is closer to 4%

The fee hits 4% if you opt to have the loan funds deposited directly into your checking account. However, if you choose to have the credit applied to your credit card balance instead, the fee drops to 2%. Since about 95% of retailers treat an American Express transaction the same way they treat cash, there isn't much practical advantage to taking this loan as cash in most scenarios.

American Express holds one significant advantage over the field. They can approve credit within ten minutes without requiring any tedious paperwork or causing unnecessary headaches—you simply give them a call, and the credit is on its way. As for the terms, they are only slightly less favorable than a standard bank loan; you’re looking at an interest rate of 9.98% (compared to the 8.5% to 9.5% range typically offered by major banks) and a 2% fee (versus the 2% to 3% you might see elsewhere).

Jose Gonzalez7 said:So, I picked up an Amex Green Card today. Honestly? Total letdown. The installment options for the consumer credit on this thing are practically non-existent. $333 🤷

Is there actually a credit card out there that offers decent installment plans even for smaller amounts?

Actually, yes, American Express. 😁 😁

The other day, I went to Home Depot and picked up some wallpaper for $150 using two monthly installments through my American Express.

At the end of the day, how much of an installment plan you get approved for depends entirely on the retailer. It’s like shopping at different department stores; sometimes they offer better terms if you use Diners Club, and other times it's better to use American Express. Personally, it bugs me that Diners Club seems to tack on a 1.5% fee every single time you opt for installments, whereas American Express doesn't.

Just to be clear, I carry both Diners Club and American Express in my wallet.

wiredlynx28 said:In Europe, Diners is basically as good as Cirrus
but over in the US and Canada, it carries the weight of a Mastercard
just grab whichever card fits your lifestyle best

Well, sure, you can look at it that way. But at the end of the day, Mastercard is Mastercard, and Diners is Diners. If they were interchangeable, why would they even bother with different names? I’ve personally tried using a Diners card to pull cash in Los Angeles and New York City, and it was a non-starter. It’s nothing like what you can do with an American Express.

American Express is perfectly fine for regions heavily tied to the dollar—think Central and parts of South America, or East Asia. You can get much further with an American Express than a Diners when booking hotels or paying for things online. So, there really isn't much of a debate there.

The real question is whether you should go with Mastercard or American Express. Personally, I’d suggest sticking with Mastercard. That said, many airports offer exclusive lounges for American Express cardholders, which is definitely a nice perk.

wiredlynx28 said:My suggestion is Diners Club
The Diners Club card is a staple, offering all the classic benefits you'd expect. As a Diners Club member, you can use your card at over nine million locations worldwide while enjoying the specific perks Diners Club provides. One of the best features is definitely the free rewards program, which really sets Diners Club apart from other card issuers. Everyone in the Diners Club rewards program earns points by consistently using their card and paying off their monthly statements, which can then be redeemed for various gifts of your choice. The sign-up fee for Diners Club is $40, and the annual fee is $75.
American Express is also a strong option, but the interest rates and fees tend to be higher. For American Express, the sign-up fee is $42 and the annual fee is $83. Diners Club is generally easier to get approved for.

But where are you getting the idea that American Express has higher interest rates and fees than Diners Club? That’s actually quite the opposite. Diners Club carries predatory interest rates, pushing right up against the legal maximum. In about 90% of cases, even when you opt for interest-free installments with Diners Club, they sneak in a 1.5% fee under the guise of "processing costs." American Express doesn't pull those kinds of stunts when you use their installment plans. When it comes to standard purchases, both American Express and Diners Club charge the same 1.5% fee; the real difference is that Diners Club hits you with interest rates around 14%, whereas American Express stays much more reasonable at around 10%.

Furthermore, through American Express, you can secure a cash loan in about ten minutes without any heavy paperwork or administrative headaches. The terms are only slightly less favorable than taking out a standard personal loan at a major US bank like Chase or Bank of America.

The dilemma between American Express vs Diners Club isn't really a dilemma at all—in my view, American Express is a far superior card.

As for traveling abroad, I have to disagree with the notion that Mastercard and Visa are significantly better than American Express. It's true that ATMs are much more widely available for Visa and Mastercard, but I've managed to pull cash using American Express in some incredibly remote parts of the world where finding a Visa or Mastercard ATM was impossible (think Central or South America). Not to mention times in Turkey when every single ATM was emptied out, and I was saved by an American Express emergency cheque. I won't even go there with Diners Club, because once you leave the States, that card is worth little more than the plastic it's printed on.

And what exactly is the impact of this topic on medicine and public health? 😕 😕

Joseph Lee3 said:The trailer and official website.

Word on the street is that Piaf worked for the resistance during WWII. Granted, she wasn't out there running sabotage missions like the owner of that famous cafe, René Artois, but she did pose for photos to help boost American morale against the occupation forces. Then again, I've heard rumors floating around that she was actually seeing a German soldier. Honestly, who knows? When it comes to Piaf, anything is possible.

And that's not all. Apparently, she intentionally took photos with prisoners of war—partly to lift spirits—and then smuggled those images to the resistance, who used them to forge fake identification documents.

And yes, it is quite possible she had a German officer as a lover.

While it might not be everyone's cup of tea, I actually found the non-linear structure and the sheer temporal chaos of the film quite compelling. At certain points, you lose all sense of which era you're currently inhabiting because everything is so beautifully jumbled. It mirrors the chaotic essence of Edith Piaf's own life perfectly.

The only real issues for me were the massive chronological gap regarding WWII and the somewhat thin portrayal of Piaf's romantic life. I feel there was a missed opportunity there; her relationships were just as turbulent and unfocused as the rest of her existence—the highs, the lows, the friendships, and the struggle with alcoholism. On the other hand, the film occasionally veers into being overly pretentious. For instance, the director didn't really need that intense scene showing an elderly woman struggling right before performing at Carnegie Hall when she first heard her signature anthem. In reality, Edith was still doing relatively well then; her health only truly spiraled in those last couple of years. But then again, I suppose that's just "artistic license" at work.

What are your thoughts on the biographical film about Edith Piaf (either titled La Môme or What a Wonderful World, depending on how you look at the translation)?

You just don't see movies like this being made in Hollywood anymore. It's a total masterpiece. I’m genuinely curious to see how the Academy will react to it.

No problem at all. I will go ahead and move this thread over to the 'Health' subforum.