Asbestos Exposure, need help!

Question: I am renovating a home built in 1979 which had ~100sqft of vinyl tiles from the ~90s in the kitchen. I didnt realize there was vinyl sheeting under the tiles and decided to cut the vinyl tile into ~2x2 squares with a circular saw for easier removal of the underlayment. After pulling up the entire floor I realized there was some vinyl sheeting underneath, so I decided to have it tested for asbestos to be safe. Testing revealed the sheeting did have (20%) Org.Bound/Fibrous Chrysotile. While I was wearing a KN95 mask, I see now that it doesnt provide much protection against fibrous asbestos. I thought asbestos flooring products were phased out in the early 70s. Should I be concerned for my health or am I over reacting. I was in the house for ~5hrs.  If I should be a concerned, Id really like to know so I can share with my primary care physician.
Comment: You are WAY overreacting.  It's asbestos not plutonium.  While there is a remote chance that you could develop an asbestos-related condition in 20-30 years, it's unlikely.  The danger from asbestos comes from continuous exposure over a long period of time.
Comment: This is usually an amount and time concern, the more is worst than the less.  Limited cuts, plus wearing a decent mask, should limit exposure to almost safer amount.  Let primary care physician know so they can make a note of it.  Would not worry to much unless sanding floor without a mask.  Remember all things are poison if enough of amount taken.  Water is a poison also if you drink enough.
Comment: I know (knew) some workers who **are** affected - they were playing "snowballs" during breaktimes with asbestos fibre insulation when insulating pipes and things when masks were rare or rarely worn even if available. Tell the Doc but don't worry. You may be hit by a bus in 18 years before the asbestos exposure gets you (if it ever happens)...
Answer: TL;DR Don't worry, be happy.
In my non-professional, non-government opinion, you are overreacting. The risk with asbestos (as with smoking, radon and many similar things) is repeated exposure. That doesn't mean a single exposure has no effect, but the big problem is with repeated exposure. Something like, tearing up a floor each day, 200 x a year for 20 years. Not "once". Plus, even though a KN95 mask may not be certified for asbestos, it will certainly help block the fibers. Certification is a tricky, and expensive, business. Especially in the past year, there are a lot of masks out there, of varying quality, that are not being certified for medical use or for asbestos or other specific things simply because any manufacturer right now, worldwide, can sell all the masks they can make as long as they meet some extremely basic design standards.
In general with asbestos, if you can cover it up, there is no danger. If there are other areas of the house (e.g., flooring in other rooms) that may have asbestos, you should probably get it tested first before working on it, or just cover it all up instead of rip & replace.
Comment: I Agree with manassehkatz.... "...the big problem is with repeated exposure".  Here is a link to the mayo clinic that may be comforting to you:  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asbestosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354637
Answer: What manassehkatz says.
Because of the tragedy of lifelong workers getting mesothelioma, and the government's ability to catch these companies with some assets, a number of mesothelioma trust funds were set up.   Unfortunately cashing in requires a bit of legal legwork, so that gives a role for lawyers.  But the success rate is much higher than a lawsuit, so it's "shooting fish in a barrel" for those lawyers.
That, plus the 1/3 "contingency fee" charged by those lawyers, has created a "feeding frenzy" of lawyers trying to score mesothelioma clients.
This, in turn, has created a staggering amount of advertising and PR messaging about the dangers of asbestos.
But these messages are false.  They only care about connecting to that 1 person in 100,000 who might be eligible to make a claim against the trust funds, and convincing that person to give up 1/3 of what they are entitled to. They do not care if they give you the wrong impression about asbestos.
Answer: I know lawyers get rightfully crapped on sometimes but we aren't all bad. I got into asbestos law specifically because I lost my father and my grandparents to asbestos exposure. I've created (and continue to create) a ton of free educational resources on my YouTube channel for anyone concerned about exposure or the current state of asbestos law.
https://www.youtube.com/@asbestosclaimslaw
No, you don't have to hire me or give me your information. I'll answer any questions you have. I run a personal injury firm for my bread and butter, my asbestos work is entirely personal. If you have any questions, hit me up through my channel or via my website, https://www.AsbestosClaims.law.
Keep in mind that any exposure isn't advised, but that it is pretty unlikely to cause you long-term effects as it stands. Remember too that the latency of symptoms in asbestos is often 20-50 years. If you're concerned, go get an x-ray from an asbestos-certified technician. Definitely do that before listening to anyone (including me) on the internet.
Comment: This is, likely, the most calm, reasoned, rational thing I've ever heard from a lawyer about asbestos. Congratulations! And condolences on your losses - it's never a good thing when family go too soon.
Comment: Hey thanks man. Appreciate it.
Answer: Before you cast this incident off too quickly, consider 1) level of asbestos in your sample, 2) type of asbestos, 3) amount of exposure (now and in the future), AND possible contamination elsewhere in your house,

Your test results came back with 20% crystalline. That is extremely high. The DOE recommends anything over 6% be removed or contained. So, while you were exposed for a relatively short time, it was at extremely high levels.

There are several types of asbestos. Chrysotile is one of the more common types, but when it is cut it becomes "friable".  Friable is the MOST dangerous. That is to say, when asbestos tiles are scraped up from the floor and/or a corner is chipped off, there is very little asbestos floating around that you can breathe.

Although the asbestos was cut and became friable in one room of your house, it doesn't mean that it remained there. In fact, it's in your hair, clothes, etc. and traveled wherever you went after the incident. It is now laying on the floor throughout your house and in your heating/air conditioning system and could be blowing around your house. In fact, it will continue being re-distributed every time you walk through the house and every time your forced air heating/air conditioning system comes on. (If you don't have a forced air system, a radiant heating system can heat the particles up and they rise and then they can be blown around the house.)

I had a friend who had a similar experience and his insurance company paid him to live in a hotel until they got it cleaned up. They took everything out of every drawer, washed every piece of clothing/bedding etc., cleaned all ducts, washed walls, etc.  The cost to clean was over $30,000 plus replacement of some items that couldn't be cleaned, plus hotel costs, etc.
I visited his house during cleaning and I saw people wiping down books, picture frames, inside of cabinets where the drawer was, etc. It was overwhelming.
For your health now and in the future: I'd notify my doctor and request to see a pulmonologist. I'd have your pulmonologist do a breathing test to set a "Baseline" for future reference. Do a pulmonary function test and have an x-ray (digital) of your lungs completed for future reference.
I can guarantee you that you will feel fine now and in the immediate future... but 20-30 years from now it could be difficult to breath and you'll have those baseline tests for reference.
Now for the really expensive item: reselling your house. There is a clause in the future sale of your house that says you'll disclose everything about your house. If you don't have your house cleaned or if you don't disclose this incident to a future buyer, you're liable. Proceed carefully.
Comment: I'm generally in the "don't worry, be happy" camp (and have voted for the other answers that say that), but you bring up some _very_ valid points. You note that your friend's insurance company paid for the hotel stay, did they also pay for the clean up?
Comment: @FreeMan Yes, the insurance company acknowledged the problem and paid for everything, including cleaning ducts (replacing some), removing and cleaning switch plates and outlet covers, etc. Things that I would have never thought of....
Comment: That's good info! Personally, I'd be a bit torn between exposing myself to the potential for additional exposure and to $30k plus in out-of-pocket remediation expenses. I might attempt the cleaning myself (as a dedicated DIYer).
Comment: @FreeMan I don't think it takes any special talent to clean everything in your house, but I wouldn't know where to begin. Do you vacuum first, clean ducts first, clean silverware and dishes first, wipe hardwood floors down first...all without contaminating the rest of the house. I'm not even sure where to buy the "moon suits" necessary to keep from contaminating my clothes, etc. I think I'd just pay my deductible and know that it's done correctly and I'm not endangering my family and friends when they visit in the future.
Comment: Sorry, I was unclear: Knowing that insurance should cover the cleanup is an important bit of the puzzle. _Otherwise_, I'd be more inclined to do it myself and not have to pay the cleanup costs.

Asbestos Exposure, need help!


Can you change required field to not required for a custom metadata's page layout?

Question: According to the following documentation, after you upload a Managed - Released package that contains a custom metadata type, you can't:

Add required fields to the custom metadata type.
Set non-required fields to required.
Delete custom fields that are in the uploaded version of the package. If you add a custom field after the upload, you can still delete it until you upload a new Managed - Released version.
Delete public custom metadata records that are included in the package.
Change a public custom metadata record or type in the package to protected. You can, however, change protected records and types to public.
Change the manageability of any custom field in the package.

Now, none of these constraints pertain to the ability of changing required fields to not required. Yet, the page layouts do not change required fields to not required after such a change. Any reason why?
Answer: Nevermind, I realized so soon after that the field was set to required on the page layout itself. One can easily uncheck required by editing the field on the affected page layout.


How can you determine the duration of a timer interrupt?

Question: So I understand that when setting a timer interrupt you don't use nanoseconds or milliseconds, but the actual number of clock cycles. However, I don't understand how you would be able to setup a specific time this way. If I wanted my interrupt to go off every 20 milliseconds would I have to divide that by the duration of each clock cycle?
Answer: The timer takes its time from the system clock. That may be, typically, 16MHz. We call this F_clk_io for the Frequency of the IO CLocK.
Every time that clock ticks the timer counts. Or, depending on settings, every time that clock ticks the prescaler counts, and eventually the output of the prescaler ticks and then the timer counts.
So first you need to divide the F_clk_io by the prescaler. That may be 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, etc, depending on settings. No prescaler is the same as a prescaler of 1:1.
So say you have selected a 1:4 prescaler.  The timer's frequency is then F_clk_io / 4, or if it's 16MHz you're running at, then the timer's frequency is 16/4 = 4MHz.
So at 4MHz each tick lasts for 1/4000000 = 250ns.
If you want 20ms you need to know how many ticks that would be.
20ms in nanoseconds would be 20000000. 20000000 / 250 = 80000 ticks.
Now, there's a problem there. 80000 won't fit into the 16-bit registers of a 16-bit timer. The maximum you can have is 65535. So we're going to need to slow things down a bit.
Set the prescaler to 1:8 and see what happens...
16/8 = 2MHz. 1/2000000 = 500ns. 20000000 / 500 = 40000 ticks.
That fits.  See how doubling the prescaler has simply halved the number of ticks you get in the same time?
So setting it to a prescaler of 1:8 and letting it tick 40000 times should give you 20ms.
Except it doesn't.
It gives you 20.0005ms.
Why? Because the interrupt triggers and the counter resets when it reaches the target count, not when it passes the target count.  And since it starts counting at 0, there's actually 40001 ticks there. So you have to subtract 1 from the number of ticks.
So the finished formula is:
<code>ticks = ((F_clk_io ÷ Prescale) × time) - 1
</code>
Things get more tricky when you are working with a smaller chip though and only have an 8-bit timer to use. With that the maximum ticks you can have is a mere 255. So you will have to use a much bigger prescale to get it to fit in. If that's even possible.  If it's not, then there are other tricks you can use.  My favourite is a manual pre-scale:

Run the timer at a multiple of your target frequency (10x is easy)
Count the number of times the interrupt triggers
When the interrupt has triggered 10 times (if using a 10x faster timer) then reset the count to 0 and trigger your real ISR code.

10x is simple to program and visualize, but it's not very programatically efficient. Better is to use a "power of two" multiple since you can examine a single bit in your counter to see if it's reached the target count.  Only minimal differences though, and not really worth worrying about unless you are having a very fast timer interrupt.
Comment: My goal is to set a 33 second delay on the ATtiny85 which is supposed to have 8 bit register. Will it even be possible for me to get that kind of a delay?
Comment: @FortunaIwasaki: If you clock your ATtiny at 8 kHz, yes.
Comment: Or if you use the method I mentioned - have a shorter delay and count those to know when 33 seconds have elapsed.


Do we need to re-install tiles if it was exposed to water for 20 minutes after installation?

Question: The tile installers didn't shut off the shower valve when they left after installing tile work in our shower. We turned on the main water supply and 15 minutes later, we went to the bathroom to check the tile work. The bathroom was soaked and water overflowed in our master bedroom. Do we need to re-install the tiles? Also, we're wondering if it is necessary to remove the backer board to check for water seeping behind the walls. We've placed a dehumidifier the entire night to remove all the moisture and to keep the bathroom dry.
Comment: How did water overflow into the master bedroom? Was the shower not draining, was the shower fixture pointed out of the shower stall, or was it something else?
Comment: What material was used to adhere the tiles to the wall? What material was used as the backer? Were the tiles grouted or just afixed waiting for grout later?
Comment: Yes, a dehumidifier. The shower was draining and the shower head was slightly pointed out towards the tub wall. Not sure what brand/type of backer board was used (builder bought materials). The tiles were just affixed with thin-set waiting to dry for grouting the following day.
Comment: if the tile fall of the wall i think you're okay, but i'm not a mason so i can't speak with much authority.
Answer: There are two problems I can think of. The first is exposing the thinset to excess moisture, this will impact the chemical reaction that's part of the curing process, which may lead to a weaker bond and loose tiles. It's easy enough to wait at least 24 hours and then check the tiles to see if they are firmly in place. If a bunch are easily dislodged, then I'd remove everything to inspect for damage behind the walls. You'll want a new backer board for a flat tile install anyway.
The bigger problem is if water got behind the tiles into the wall. A proper install will have a waterproof barrier behind the tiles since grout, thin set, and often the tiles themselves are not waterproof. If this barrier (e.g. Ditra) isn't the case in your install, the materials behind the tile and possible paths water could take are important. If water is getting into drywall, even green board, wood (studs, plywood, or OSB), or on metal (non-galvanized nails/screws, electrical lines, communications lines) you will see damage. The damage will likely take time to detect, e.g. rusting, corrosion, and mold won't be noticeable immediately.
On the flip side, it's also possible that any damage that has resulted will not be noticed until after you sell the home or perform another renovation. Because of this, it's difficult for anyone to give a definitive answer. You may be exposing yourself to significant health hazards from mold, or you may not have any issues at all.
Answer: whether shower floor or wall,any immediate high volume of water will break the bond of the setting material,be it thin-set or glue(not on a floor i hope)walls should not be an issue as far as the backer is concerned as long as it was a cementboard type backer.
Answer: I don't think this is an issue.  You aren't blending the water into the mix.  You are basically introducing the water to the outer skin of the thinset.  Yes some may get into the "inners" but I believe this would be a minute amount and I personally would be cautious but not worry too much.  I might delay grouting for a few days and thoroughly test the tiles after 2-3 days but really this should be no issue unless the tile job was flawed to begin with.
Also common sense says they started at the bottom and worked their way up.  So the tiles (that got the wettest) would have been setting a while.  Again I think that if there was a tile problem it was probably more indicative of the job they did before the water turned on.


how to make transmitter and receiver for quad copter?

Question: I want to make a transmitter and receiver for quad copter for that I am using two arduinos(UNO and nano).I am using 4 pots for controlling the brushless motors.For that I am sending 4 integer values of the pots and with that integer value PWM signals are generated at receiver by the arduino.Now I want to know how to send that 4 integer values of the pots serially using arduino.
Answer: The APC220 radio module provides a simple and economic solution to wireless data communications. Integrates an embedded high speed microprocessor and high performance IC that creates a transparent UART/TTL interface, and elminates any need for packetizing and data encoding. Use this module as this works as a pair and more intriguing part is that "it" can transmit over a km away.
link ~http://www.dfrobot.com/index.php?route=product/product&filter_name=apc&product_id=57#.VWeKIVWqqko
Comment: Thanks,that's fine,but I want to know how to convert parallel data to serial data of the integer values using arduino.
Comment: Just elaborate on the data type you are talking about, then may be you can be directed properly


Changing file browser in Scientific Linux

Question: I use Scientific Linux Release 6.1 (Carbon) with GNOME 2.28.2.
When I double-click on a folder on the Desktop it is opened in "File Browser".
When I open a folder via "Places" on the Main Menu Bar, the folder is opened in "File Manager".
I dislike "File Manager" and I don't understand why there are two different programs (file managers) running depending on how I open a folder.
How can I get rid of "File Manager"?
Answer: If Nautilus (your file manager) is just a box (spatial view) go to "edit", then select "preferences" and in "behaviour" choose "Always open in browser windows".
Then close the window and open it again.


Not enough recommendation letters

Question: I would like to apply for a postdoc position or an academic position like  an assistant professor. Before I had three persons who could write letters of recommendation for me in case I needed to apply for a job. Unfortunately I had a conflict with one of these persons who wrote a letter for me and he/she has decided to not to write a recommendation letter for me anymore. I am left with only two people who can write letters for me. Since most of job applications require at least three reference letters, I do not know where to find the third person to write the letter for me. Any suggestion? If I submit my application with only two letters, will it be rejected as incomplete? Is it a bad sign if I send only two letters in those cases where are requested at least three or more?
Comment: I find it very strange that exactly three people so far know you well enough to recommend you.
Comment: OP- To build a little on @Peaceful's comment, could it be that you are limiting your own recommendation writer criteria? For instance, are you limiting your list of requests to professors, or some other narrow category? You say three *persons,* and that does seem unlikely. You may want to elaborate a bit more on whom it is you are asking.
Answer:
If I submit my application with only two letters, will it be rejected as incomplete?

Yes, probably.  That is what the word "required" means.  It is possible that some employers might consider the application anyway, or perhaps give you more time to submit a third one, but many will not.
They want to make sure they are getting a range of opinions on the candidate's qualifications, to reduce the chance that they are just hearing from one or two biased people writing inaccurate letters.

Is it a bad sign if I send only two letters in those cases where are requested at least three or more?

Yes.
So you should try harder to find a third person to write a letter.  We have lots of questions on this site about how to find letter writers.  For instance, you can tell your other two writers about the situation, and ask if they have any ideas.

Not enough recommendation letters


What can I do to help my mouse be more tame?

Question: So I just got this mouse exactly one week ago today. A couple days ago after the 3-4 day period of course I started the bonding and taming process. In this period I have successfully had him come willingly onto my hand and such, but he has bitten me twice already and I don't understand what is going on. Is there anything I can do? My reaction to him biting is to put him back in the cage and leaving him alone
Comment: Maybe that's what he wants right now. You have got to learn what he considers to be threatening behaviour, and adjust your own accordingly. Do not think that you can tickle his tummy on the basis of a few day's acquaintance.
Answer: I want to add something to Mick's comment. When a mouse bites you, it either is playing, feels threatened, is scared, or wants to defend itself. So the best option is to let it crawl in your hand (Do NOT pick it up by its tail or anywhere) and just hold it and try and tolerate the bite. It will eventually see your hand as not a threat and will not bite you anymore. If you pick it up yourself, then it will see your hand as a mouth of a predator and will just keep on biting you.


Are meta descriptions important for pages that are not indexed by search engines?

Question: I have read about meta descriptions here on the webmasters forum. Is it necessary or important to have description on pages that are not being index by the search engine? Like for instances, pages in "Members Area" section of my site or pages blocked by a robots.txt file.
Answer: If the pages will not be available to search engines, and your site has no use for them internally, then you can safely omit them.
Comment: ...that said, if you're using a CMS or something and the default behavior is that the description is included, there's probably not much reason to put in extra work to *remove* them.
Answer: If pages are not for indexing in search engines, then you can do anything with these pages, it will not affect to your ranking of other website pages, but must do not forget about the user experience of these pages, as these pages will not be interacted by search engines, but they will be interacted by users.


Trying to patch areas of drywall texture

Question: Can someone please help me identify this type of drywall texture and maybe give me some tips for how to match it.  I've got a few areas where I've patched and I'm not finding anything online to help me figure out what style this is or how to try and match it. I'd roughly guess it's just some sort of skip-trowel but don't want to make it ugly or spend all day trying to match it.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/YiVSX.jpg
Comment: It is skip trowel. I find it incredibly hard to match these sorts of things. Best advice is to use topping compound (easier to sand) and have a sponge at the ready to remove an attempt that you hate.
Comment: Hello, and welcome to Home Improvement. If an answer is helpful, please click the large check mark next to it to accept.
Comment: An image containing a reference to size would be helpful - i.e tape some currency to the wall.
Comment: I've added a photo with scale reference.  The smaller blobs are more typical of the pattern.
Answer: That looks somewhat like a "knock down" texture. The ceilings in my house look like this:

This type of texture can take on many variations of look which can depend on the consistency of the mud when it was spattered on, type of spray gun and nozzle used and how long the material has dried before you knock it down with a knock down tool or other wide drywall knife.
I had only moderate success trying to re-texture a bathroom where I had to open the ceiling to install some electrical wiring years back. I tried some of those spatter spray cans of texture that you can buy at the big box stores. My results after several practice sessions on scrap drywall were less than spectacular.
More recently I was trying to deal with matching a ceiling in a laundry room where about a third of the ceiling needed to be replaced with new drywall. Based upon my previous experience in that bathroom and the discussion on this question I decided to just skim coat the whole thing and leave texturing to the paint roller when installing the paint.
Comment: That is close.   I would have referred him to your question about 1/4" drywall.
Comment: @DMoore - Notice the underlined "this question" in the last sentence of my answer. That is a link that I put there when I wrote the answer yesterday.
Comment: Thanks, I will try it out and be ready to wipe off (patches are just couple square feet, so relatively small) if I don't like how it looks.
Answer: To me that looks like the texture gun was set on large splatter and knocked down with a wide knife, almost impossible to match , I have found getting in the ballpark on the repair then adding a light coat of orange peak over the entire room it helps to blend everything and drywall mud is cheap.
This assumes you have an air compressor and a mud gun can be purchased for ~ 50$ , they are cheap plastic and if well cleaned after you may get a few uses.
Adding water to standard joint compound setting the gun and shooting an area to get close let it sit for a few minutes then knock it down, you can try on a piece of scrap or even a wall that has a smooth area, not right use mud knife scrape it off very easy for ~20 minutes. Once you get it right let it dry clean the gun, the next day set the gun for a small spatter cover the entire room clean the gun.
Never use a setting or Hot mud with a gun it can ruin the gun even a pro model, and if the vent plugs a "sealed" hopper can explode if the small vent gets plugged. Just don't use hot mud.
This is how I cover remodel patches that I can't match and it is just about impossible to see the repair.
Comment: Thanks for the reply and suggestions.  Adding orange peel to room wouldn't be practical since it's in hallway and entire house is same texture.
Comment: If you read my advice a heavy knock down after a repair is IMPOSSIBLE to hide so I do my best and then an orange peak over the top and not even I can find the repair I did not do.


Should I use beer gas to dispense carbonated kegs?

Question: Suppose I have a keg of carbonated beer and a kegerator. Can I hook the keg up to beer gas (nitrogen, CO2 mix)? Would this affect the beer in any way, or would I have to carbonate with the beer gas to get any advantage to pushing with beer gas? Would I need a stout faucet? Longer lines to balance the system?
Answer: What you propose is the usual way it's done.  Carbonate with CO2 (that's why it's called carbonation!), then dispense with beer gas.  You do not need a stout faucet.  You will probably need to lengthen your dispense lines.


2019: a year in moderation

Question: It's New Year's Day in Stack Exchange land...
A distinguishing characteristic of these sites is how they are moderated:

We designed the Stack Exchange network engine to be mostly self-regulating, in that we amortize the overall moderation cost of the system across thousands of teeny-tiny slices of effort contributed by regular, everyday users.
  -- A Theory of Moderation

While there certainly are Moderators here, a significant amount of the moderation is done by ordinary people, using the privileges
they've earned by virtue of their contributions to the site. Each of you contributes a little bit of time and effort, and together you accomplish much.
As we enter a new year, let's pause and reflect, taking a moment to appreciate the work that we do here together.
And what could be more festive than a big pile of numbers?
So here is a breakdown of moderation actions performed on Internet of Things over the past 12 months:
<code>                 Action                  Moderators Community¹
---------------------------------------- ---------- ----------
Users suspended²                                  0          4
Users destroyed³                                  6          0
User banned from review                           2          0
Tasks reviewed⁴: Suggested Edit queue            78         96
Tasks reviewed⁴: Reopen Vote queue                6         37
Tasks reviewed⁴: Low Quality Posts queue         12         24
Tasks reviewed⁴: Late Answer queue               22         28
Tasks reviewed⁴: First Post queue               120        340
Tasks reviewed⁴: Close Votes queue               66        415
Revisions redacted                                2          0
Questions reopened                                2          0
Questions protected                               1          7
Questions migrated                                2          0
Questions flagged⁵                                2         60
Questions closed                                118         19
Question flags handled⁵                          44         18
Posts unlocked                                    0          1
Posts undeleted                                   4          1
Posts locked                                      0          9
Posts deleted⁶                                   96        144
Posts bumped                                      0         44
Comments undeleted                                5          0
Comments flagged                                  1         46
Comments deleted⁷                               143         94
Comment flags handled                            21         26
Answers flagged                                   5        136
Answer flags handled                            116         25
</code>
Footnotes
¹ "Community" here refers both to the membership of Internet of Things without diamonds next to their names, and to the automated systems otherwise known as user #-1.
² The system will suspend users under three circumstances: when a user is recreated after being previously suspended, when a user is recreated after being destroyed for spam or abuse, and when a network-wide suspension is in effect on an account.
³ A "destroyed" user is deleted along with all that they had posted: questions, answers, comments. Generally used as an expedient way of getting rid of spam.
⁴ This counts every review that was submitted (not skipped) - so the 2 suggested edits reviews needed to approve an edit would count as 2, the goal being to indicate the frequency of moderation actions. This also applies to flags, etc.
⁵ Includes close flags (but not close or reopen votes).
⁶ This ignores numerous deletions that happen automatically in response to some other action.
⁷ This includes comments deleted by their own authors (which also account for some number of handled comment flags).
Further reading:

Wanna see how these numbers have changed over time? I posted a similar report here last year: 2018: a year in moderation...
You can also check out this report on other sites
Or peruse detailed information on the number of questions closed and reopened across all sites

Wishing you all a happy new year...
Comment: Looks like most numbers are somewhat down from last year, but nice to see that the community has remained quite engaged in the review queues.
Answer: Just a curiosity question...  How does this work?
I resigned moderation partway through the year.  Are the review tasks (for example) that I did before and after my de-diamond-ation categorized as moderator and community tasks respectively, or do they all fit into one category or the other?
Comment: Reviews you did as a mod are listed under "moderators"; reviews you did after resignation are listed under "community".
Comment: Nice, thanks for the info!

2019: a year in moderation


Cannot use SSH with OSMC Kodi

Question: I've recently started using my Pi and I am running into a pretty annoying setback. I am trying to do a few things in headless mode and can't even get in with an SSH commands. The default user and password (osmc) haven't been changed, and when I first installed it onto the sd card I could get in, but now nothing works. I can connect using the http port, but that isn't useful for what I want to do. I'm considering just wiping it and starting over, since I haven't really done a lot on it yet that can't be done again. Suggestions?
Answer: Just came back to this. It was so long ago that I don't remember the problem exactly, but I do remember having to reinstall an OS every time the pi restarted, sometimes more. That error was because the SD card was bad, and was causing several other issues as well. I don't know if that was the root cause in this case, but it was for sure the root of most of my other problems.
Lesson learned, don't go for whatever's laying around. Check this list if you're going to be getting a card.

Cannot use SSH with OSMC Kodi


Where can i find the serial number on engine for a Mercedes-Benz OM651?

Question: As the title says, I would like to know where I could find the serial number (or VIN) on the engine on a Mercedes-Benz C-Class C220 CDI W204 from 2012. The engine is the OM651. I am looking for it as I want to know if the engine is the original one. Thank you very much!
Answer: I can find no specific information for your question, but after looking at the engine block i suggest 2 places to look on the block. Reference 2 red arrows in the image below. It may be difficult to impossible to see the engine serial number on that engine fully assembled and installed in the car.
Comment: Thanks! I'll try to look for the serial number on those two places. I find it very weird that there is no information about these kind of things. I guess most people go with their cars at the dealer, so there isn't a large request for this information.


Facebook post image poor quality

Question: I'm having trouble setting up a proper/sharp looking social media post designs for facebook. I have 5 or 6 different designs, all are the same size, I export them all the same way (Save for web -> PNG24), but for some reason some of them show up in a very poor quality when posted on facebook.
They are all in a good resolution too.
Is there some specific things I'm not paying attention to, like the final file size (KB's), colors etc.?
Comment: Possible duplicate of [Facebook: Ways to preserve image quality of uploaded images?](https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/3134/facebook-ways-to-preserve-image-quality-of-uploaded-images)
Comment: As well as the proposed duplicate question, have a look at the advice given by facebook themselves: https://www.facebook.com/help/266520536764594
Answer: Any particular reason to export PNG's? Try exporting to JPG, which in many cases can look better than a PNG. Also see this: https://www.facebook.com/help/266520536764594
Answer: Hi I can offer you my routine as an aid, cannot get into your set up deeply unfortunately due to time. For reference I am on a Mac Pro 5,1 BTO with 32GB Ram, 12 Core 3GHz, OS 10.12.6, Photoshop CS6 - whilst this may appear old to some, its a rock solid combination and capable of all I need.
I build in Photoshop and start all art at 300 dpi for first photo correction and retouching so I have a good master for images. I build vector icons and logos in Illustrator where possible for the same reason... unless I am on short time - the click icon in my sample post for example. For social media I tend to build the banners at deployment size so I can judge the quality at edit, particularly text legibility. Whilst different channels do prefer different sizes and will crop deep vertical images 1000 pixels x 1000 pixels @ 72 dpi and RGB  typically works fine on FB and Twitter.

I then save out to JPG using Photoshop's built in web optimiser under Save For Web - logical because it gives you quality control v file size and you don't want to be posting anything too large to SM or (1) it will be compressed by the channels gatekeeper (during upload) and (2) mobile devices will struggle to download it - I went for 'Quality = 90' on these as it is a premium client but you can go down to 60 and still get good results.

On a Mac you can quickly check the integrity by opening the file in Preview but dont make any changes in this app or it will over save the Photoshop output (and typically go up in size).
And here is the actual image file if you want to use it as a template: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-tE30aWsAE7VKk.jpg
Note: on a commercial banner like this I put the offer detail in the post text, typically with a website link for the campaign landing page. The call to action (Join Now) is a psychological hook. You don't want too much message on the images as people wont read it. The image is key clearly - in this case I am appealing to an off peak audience, + 25, female, mum through to grans and the group / community interaction is deliberate for this audience... they might be at the gym for company or simply to get out of the house / daily routine as much as fitness.
I am sure others may have a different approach / opinion although this works for me and in short time if needs be - 25 mins if I am into the client, have media on board and know the target well. Hope this helps.

Facebook post image poor quality


Identity and similarity for Multiple Sequence Alignment (MSA) of proteins

Question: I have to do homology modeling for a transmembrane protein (sodium channel) and right now I am in the process of aligning the sequences of the template with the homologous proteins I have found. I am using T-Coffee to do the alignment. I would like to have some numerical descriptors of the different sequences and I have been told to include the percentage of similarity and identity. How can I compute them? Is there an on-line tools to do this? Thank you.
Answer: I've never used T-Coffee but it looks like the web-server version gives you a total score as well as a score for each individual sequence; do you know if those numbers are related to the numerical descriptors you need?
A good place to start would be to read the documentation. Another good place to look would be the Google Groups page for T-Coffee.
Comment: Thanks you for the reply. I just finished reading the documentation. I found out that I can use Chimera to see the percentage of identity, so one problem is solved. The main problem is of a different nature: let's say that I have the MSA from residue 1 to 100 of the query. I would like to have a tool that automatically computes the number of insertions, deletions etc... Some numerical quantities that I can use to see if the alignment is good and how much. Thank you.
Comment: It would appear that this answer solved the user's question. His comment includes an additional question which is not relevant. I have therefore upvoted it in response to the Cummunity homepage bump.


How do you blend your meads/wines?

Question: How does one typically blend their meads & wines?  Do I need to worry about layering because of different S.G. levels or ABV levels?
Answer: There will be zero layering.  You are combining two water based solutions, they mix completely as mixed.  Gravity is meaningless in this example as is temperature.  Ethanol is completely dissolved in the water component of mead and cider.  Remember too that mead, cider, wine and beer are mostly water!
Just blend away.
Comment: Not really (threshold). I'm a chemistry prof and what I wrote above is the science. Brewchez is correct in the comment about layering. Layering shots is a prime example of the effect of spec grav, but in what you are asking doesn't apply. Elevated temps increase the ability of the molecules to mix and stay in solution.
Comment: You can't layer rum and vodka together.  You can layer rum and certain sugary liquors or creme liquors, there density is helping you to do that.  Most of those flavoring liquors are almost syrups. But two wines or meads are almost the same density. Regardless of ABV they mix effortlessly and will come to equilibrium in short order.  Ethanol has such a low surface tension its not really the ABV that matters in the case of shots or blending wine.
Comment: There has to be some threshold about when not to blend though.. similar to how some shots can be layered.  It may not be at the sugar thresehold or ABV measures we see with wines & meads (under 20% ABV).. but there has to be some science behind this.
Answer: Never had a problem with layering when I blended, but both "brews" were within 0.010 spec grav of each other. Blending each at a relatively high temperature (100o F) should help reduce any layering. After the mixture is made (and homogeneous), there shouldn't be any separation. I've made quite a few mixtures of two liquids at significantly different spec grav in my career and warming seemed to reduce any separation on cooling.
Essentially, you are mixing two solutions of alcohol and water and ethanol has one of the largest suitabilities in water. Vigorous swirling of the warmed "brews" should do the trick.
some additional info: Elevating temperature increases the kinetic energy of the molecules (in this case) and also increases the distance between the molecules. This allows other molecules, especially large bulky flavenoids, to more easily fit in the spaces between the molecules (solubility). Specific gravity is a measure of relative density (can be thought of as molecules per unit volume though the formal def is weight per volume) and when two liquids have very different densities, they will not mix easily unless mechanically stirred.
Comment: I would be very hesitant to heat my brews after the secondary fermentation.  I already don't like to heat my meads at all even during the primary.  I fear that by heating them up, I will strip the aromas & flavors
Comment: Temperature control is the key. Keeping the temp between 70 and 100 F for a short time will avoid any negative effects. These temps are well below the boiling point of the flavenoids that give the mead/wine flavor.
Comment: Come on!  I am a scientist too, and you are looking at two liquids that are largely water, and the final density post fermentation is close to the same.  You are right about temp and its effect on solubility.  But two room temperature meads/wines/ciders/beers will mix effortlessly when combined.  They might need a quick aggitation, but nothing more than a couple stirs. You are making this more complicated than it is.  The energy hurdle is extremely low to get these things to mix.  Go get a red wine and a white wine, pour on top of another in a glass and tell me if they layer! Down-voting now.

How do you blend your meads/wines?


In what contexts would one use the slang word "minging" in British English?

Question: I was watching a Youtube video on English accents, and in the middle of a Yorkshire one, I think, the author of the video used the word "minging", in what seemed to be an insult.   So I have two questions: What's the definition of the word, and does it have any preferred phrases or contexts its used in? I'm looking for more the connotative elements that dictionaries aren't really good at giving.
Comment: For those who've never heard it spoken, note that *minger*, *minging* etc. usually rhyme with *singer*, *singing*, etc., occasionally (in some accents) with *finger*, but never afaik with the *j* sound of words like *binge*.  That pronunciation would suggest a different and more offensive slang word.
Comment: I believe he is referring to `minge`, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/minge
Comment: @PLL: 'whinge'?
Comment: @PLL What is that "more offensive slang word", pray tell?
Comment: One also sometimes hears _minger_ and _minging_ with a hard g.  Or at least a hint of a hard g.   I think it's more of a Northern thing, and is sometimes heard in other _ing_ words too.
Answer: The most common uses are probably to describe people (and to a slightly lesser extent, objects), with the meaning "very ugly" or "repulsive". Less common but still frequently it can mean "smelling very bad".
It is also found frequently as a verb ("That food mings"; "She mings to high heaven"), with either of the senses above, and also commonly with an "-er" suffix to denote a person not possessed of physical beauty ("That psmears is a right minger").
Comment: It's also often used to describe weather: "Ugh, it's minging out today!"  (I don't think I need to add, appropriate weather is very common in much of the UK.)  Geographically, I'd associate *minging* slightly more with Scotland and northern England, but it's certainly not restricted to them.
Comment: @Billare: I don't think there's a particular class association. PLL says it's associated more with northern England, which may be true (and is consistent with the dictionary etymology), but as he hints it's used and understood all over. It's probably fair to say that, as with a lot of slang/colloquial expressions, it's used more by the (relatively) young: it would be unusual to hear someone over, say, 40 use this word (though that may be more common in areas where the word has been in use longer).
Comment: I believe I once saw Gordon Ramsay on TV giving his advice to a rather misguided young chef who had chosen _black pudding with hollandaise sauce_ as his "signature dish".   Having tasted this relvoting combination, Gordon's verdict was "that's minging" - after which he stepped outside and threw up.
Comment: Another example of usage being Ali G's description of Sporty Spice as suffering from "mingingitis".
Comment: Excellent answer, @psmears.  Are any particular class of people or people from a particular city characterized by their use of this word, or is it very general amongst the British population?
Comment: I found this word while preparing an English exam, it was in some example sentence...
Answer: As a northern English man I use this word all the time. Minging can mean stinking, revolting, honking. Also there is minger, someone who looks unsightly, or failed to wash and smells, or is generally repulsive. You then have other variations such as ming monged when you're drunk. I'm minging when drunk.
Basically you can use it in any context when describing something revolting. He was, she was minging, he is, she is, they were minging etc.
Answer: The New Oxford American Dictionary has:

minging (adjective; British; informal): foul-smelling.
  • very bad or unpleasant: I'd really like to burn that minging beige jacket he has glued to him all the time.
  ORIGIN 1970s: perhaps from Scots dialect ming 'excrement.'
Comment: Yours is the only good answer. Also in the main Oxford dictionary, listing the noun as "orig. and chiefly Sc." listing the earlier form _meng_ as 1923 (I've heard this still used "in the wild"); the definition being "Human excrement; an unpleasant smell (now the usual sense)." It arose from the Germanic noun "ming" meaning a mix, used in Scotland to mean a substitute for tar used for smearing or marking sheep. (I imagine it looked and smelt like excrement.)
Answer: Being 'minging' can also mean to be hungover.
I've also personally used 'minging' or 'ming' to describe:

the weather, during a day of heavy rain
a particular poor piece of programming
London, when particularly bad for air pollution

My brother uses the phase "ming-be-gone" to refer to anti-perspirant. I'm sure he must have picked that up from somewhere, but I've never heard anybody else use it. It's largely for comedic effect.
Answer: Minging originates from a British Army term for being drunk. E.g. "I'm absolutely minging!" This morphed to a wider meaning of "in a bad way or in bad order". E.g., if you have very muddy, dirty boots you may say "My boots are minging!" This later translated into Civi street as "dirty, nasty, ugly, smelly etc.".
Answer: Just for interest's sake, I live in London - the use of 'minging' and all its other forms was very common 10 years ago, but has since faded, as 'fad' words do ('wicked' meaning good being one that's almost completely disappeared). I still hear it occasionally, but rarely, so seems like its only being used by older people, or in other regions of the UK.
Answer: It means "unpleasant" but you can use it in many contexts; ugly or dirty or disgusting (as in food).
Comment: Welcome to EL&U! We strive to provide objective and well-researched answers. One-liners are likely to be deleted as they show a lack of research. If you expand and provide evidence, this could become a great answer! Take the [Tour] and see [answer] for more.


When I say I smell gas, do you think of gasoline, or natural gas?

Question: I have a problem with using word "gas". In my language we have two completely different words for gas that is put in car and gas that is used in stove when cooking something. Should I use phrase "natural gas" when talking about gas that is used for cooking (or when talking about car that uses LPG / CNG) and gas when talking about gasoline used in cars? I am referring to american english, since brits use word petrol which is easier to explain in this context, at least I think.
Answer: In American English the definition of the word "gas" is entirely dependent on the context. In American English, we have two separate words as well, gasoline for petrol as the brits would call it and gas for either the state of matter or for natural gas. However, people do not always use the language as intended and choose to abbreviate words. This may lead to a certain amount of ambiguity but that is why context is often necessary to figure out which definition to use. If someone says, "I walked through the kitchen, and as I passed by I smelled what I thought to be gas" then you can be almost certain that they are talking about the scented natural gas that is used in stoves and not gasoline. However, if they say, "I went to go fill up my car with gas" then you can be almost certain that they mean gasoline.
The reason I say "almost certain" and not just "certain" is that people may very well mean the other word/definition and it is still justified. You can make assumptions but they may not always be right. You don't have to use gas for the word gasoline, you can use natural gas instead of just gas. Just know that others might, and that context or further questioning might be necessary to understand the true meaning.
Comment: Of course, if you are watching tv and someone says "I smell gas" then there is another source :)


How does Spinoza support the argument that there is a match between ideas and physical objects?

Question: Spinoza argues that if God exists, He is a single continuous substance that constitutes all of reality.  How does this argument go, and how does Spinoza use it to support the conclusion that there is a match between ideas and physical objects?
Comment: This is a little broad. What did you do yourself to find the answer?
Comment: On one account it's called *panentheistic*, rather than *pantheistic*.
Answer: See Spinoza's Physical Theory:

God or Nature is the unique substance (Ethics,Ip14), existing essentially (Ip7), infinite in power (Ip8), and characterized by infinite attributes, each constituting its essence (Id4). Finite things are but modifications of that substance, and not themselves independent beings (Ip14); bodies in particular are modes of substance conceived under the attribute Extension. God or Nature, as the ultimate cause of all things, is also the cause of all the particular modifications of extended nature (Ip18).
Thought is another attribute through which substance is conceived (IIp1). Since substance is unique, and the attributes simply various essences under which it is conceived, the series of finite modal causes in each attribute must operates strictly in parallel with one another (IIp7). For every modification of Thought there is a modification of Extension it mirrors, and vice versa; and the causal order of the one is perfectly matched with that of the other. The mind, a finite mode of Thought, is, under this parallelism, simply the idea of the body to which it corresponds under the parallelism (IIp13). The economy of ideas is precisely as closed, necessitated and deterministic as that of bodies.

Comment on "infinity"

[Ethics, Def.2] A thing is said to be finite in its own kind [in suo genere finita] when it can be limited by another thing of the same nature. For example, a body is said to be finite because we can always conceive of another body greater than it. So, too, a thought is limited by another thought. But body is not limited by thought, nor thought by body.
[Def.6] By God I mean an absolutely infinite being, that is, substance consisting of infinite attributes, each of which expresses eternal and infinite essence.
Explication I say "absolutely infinite," not "infinite in its kind." For if a thing is only infinite in its kind, one may deny that it has infinite attributes. But if a thing is absolutely infinite, whatever expresses essence and does not involve any negation belongs to its essence.

According to Id2, infinite must mean "unlimited": we may think at lack of spatial or temporal limits.
Comment: Could you explain - among mathematicians - what Spinoza means by "inifinite", e.g., in Id5 or Ip8?
Comment: @JoWehler - "**Ip8**  Every substance is necessarily infinite.
*Proof*.—There can only be one substance with an identical attribute, and existence follows from its nature (Prop. vii.) ; its nature, therefore, involves existence, either as finite or infinite. It does not exist as finite, for (by Def. ii.) it would then be limited by something else of the same kind, which would also necessarily exist (Prop. vii.); and there would be two substances with an identical attribute, which is absurd (Prop. v.). It therefore exists as infinite. Q.E.D." Assumong the previous Props, it follows that ...
Comment: ... the substance is unlimited, because no other substance can "limit" it. Thus (by **Id2**) if it is not limited by another thing of the same nature, it must be said *infinite*.
Comment: Sorry, I meant Id2. - Spinoza and many philosophers with an affinity to metaphysics use the term "inifinite" where a mathematician would say "without boundary"? - By the way: Does Spinoza and its attitude more geometrico convince you?
Comment: @JoWehler - I'm a mathematician and I like philosophy... but the **dream** of philosophers to "demonstrate" facts: the existence of God, the non-existence of the world, etc. are - **according to my point of view** - intelelctually fascinating but hopelessly deemed to failure. Of course, I cannot prove this "theorem". :-)
Comment: @wehler: there's quite a long discussion in Aristotle about infinity, where he distinguishes actual infinites for potential ones; and also from wholes and the all; the word 'infinite' in itself can be taken to be without boundary, if finite is to mean that which is bounded.
Comment: @MoziburUllah - there were no "big" differences between "mathematical" *infinite* and "philosophical" *infinite* until Cantor "discovered" the *science of infinite*. From that point on the two partly diverged: the math of infinite gives precise way to carachterize the "unlimited" (like the unlimited possibility of iterate the operation +1 of natural number sequence) from the "continuum". Of course, math does not "solve" all conceptual problems and conundrums of infinite.
Comment: @allegranza: for sure, I'd add that its natural to think that a 'closed' infinite ie one with its limit point included as a completed infinite, but as it's completed it's no longer infinite - so to speak.
Answer: The 'match between ideas and physical objects', points up a conundrum which every commentator on Spinoza's epistemology has wrestled with for over 200 years, some with more success than others. But it still remains more or less hidden from view.
The match exists at the nexus in the mind where 'thought' and 'object' conjoin. He called it 'idea' and 'ideatum'. In Latin the difference and similarity between the two helps to clarify our English language confusion.
The idea and its object are one and the same thing, expressed in two different milieus. An apple hangs from a tree and once someone views it, observes it, experiences it, it comes alive in that person's mind. That apple in the person's mind is not a concept, it is not a mental picture. It is the essence of that apple hanging on the tree reproducing itself spontaneously and automatically in the mind. Here's one more example:
Believing firmly that if we cannot explain even the greatest complexities in simple terms then that reveals that perhaps we do not really understand them ourselves; I constructed the one minute explanation of Spinoza's 'idea'.
This version was for my massage therapist who I see weekly as part of a recovery regimen. I mentioned my Pamphlet number one, on Baruch's TIE, which I'd 'gifted' her. I told her not to worry about reading the pamphlet until she retired, but that if she wished, that I would tell her right on the spot, the gist of the whole book; to understand Spinoza's 'idea'. And here it is;
I told her that in her mind she had a file, called 'Charles' body. Each time she worked om me she automatically 'pulled' out the file and used it to remind herself what areas she'd worked on last week and this gave her a platform for today's work. As she worked on me she would compare with her mind's recollection from last week, what she needed to accomplish today. Once she finished my therapy, the file was automatically returned to her brain to be retrieved only when she needed it next week. This 'file', I told her, is real, it's cumulative it's a singularity, it's one of many more of these files which she retains in her brain and which her mind only retrieves when she needs them. Each of these 'files' is one of Spinoza's 'ideas'. A brain can store these but only the mind can retrieve, update and restore them back in the brain.
That's it, that is one way, and only one way to describe as simply as possible what Baruch meant.
 Sapere aude,
Charles M. Saunders
The work done on my body is the 'object'. The file in her mind is the 'idea'.
For more on this read Spinoza's "On the Improvement of the Understanding". It is only 43 pages in length but contains a non-geometric explanation of the 'idea'. This document holds the key to unlocking the 'clear labyrinth' of the Ethics. CS @Keelon


Mining Bitcoins on PC - Experiment, looking for advice or simple instructions

Question: I am absolutely new to Bitcoin and mining, I know that mining at home using a PC is not worth even the time and takes years to get any income out of it.
The thing is I need to mine at home using a PC for experimental purposes and education, so basically i just want to make something even like 0.0000001 bitcoin, and only bitcoin no other crypto currency.
I downloaded the Bitcoin Core wallet and downloaded all the years transactions to be up to date, where to go from there i have no idea, i found several miners but they are all confusing, I can't even find my address to start using the basic miners, so please could you give me a guide or a step by step instructions on how to proceed please? I need to do this alone not within a group (pool) of miners as most sites suggested.
Thank you
Comment: Solo mining, even with an asic, will essentially never return any money, since you either find a block or you get nothing. If you want to make even 1 satoshi, you would need to be in a pool, and this question is too broad for this site's format in any case.
Answer: As has already been commented, this is really not possible. You cannot solo mine Bitcoin with a PC. Even with an ASIC, you cannot solo mine. You simply won't have enough hash power to even get (as you said) 0.0000001 BTC.
If you are really set on mining, I would suggest you look at other currencies, and GPU based mining. You will however, be required to use mining pools. That is a necessity. If you are looking for a very simple GPU miner, you may checkout MinerGate (note: I am in no way affiliated with MinerGate, and I have never used their product).
Comment: As I mentioned in the post I have no intention of making any money, but I don't want to invest in hardware neither, the entire project is to show my students something in action and actually working, I guess it is not possible then, thanks for the answer
Answer:
the entire project is to show my students something in action and actually working

You can probably do this by effectively forking a cryptocurrency with a new isolated blockchain.
If Satoshi Nakamoto could get it all started with a few PCs in 2008, so can you.
However, you'd probably need to learn a substantial amount about your chosen cryptocurrency.


Detect application focus event using applescript

Question: It it possible to detect application focus event using applescript? What I'm trying to achieve is to open ios simulator when I focus on text editor. I know how to activate simulator but can't figure out how to detect when the editor is active.
Comment: What version of OS X/macOS and Xcode?
Comment: @user3439894 macOS 10.12, xcode 8.3.3
Comment: Simulator is not AppleScript scriptable, meaning it does not have an AppleScript Dictionary. That leaves you with AppleScript UI Scripting and some manipulation using System Events in AppleScript, both of which are rather limited compared to an app that actually supports AppleScript via an application specific AppleScript Dictionary.
Comment: A simple "on idle handler" is all that's needed for your desired feedback. I do not even see what scriptability of Simulator could help you. Just let a background script run on your Mac like I describe below …
Answer: A simple solution, using AppleScripts immanent capacities
[I am a little ashamed to admit that due to an "unhappy localisation" I did not realise there is a perfectly suitable way to make AS-scripts repeat periodically. The English term "Stay Open Application" in its German version ominously re-translates to "Display after run-handler". ]
(I will leave parts of my workaround solution at the bottom, because of its own merit.)
This …
on idle
tell application "System Events"
    if frontmost of process "TextEdit" is true then ¬
        tell application "name_of_simulator" to activate
    return 2  -- this number tells System at what intervals to execute
end tell
end idle

… is really all you need.
Save this code in ScriptEditor, check "Stay Open" application (or similar) and run the app.
(Close ScriptEditor if you like.)

"Working solution" to detect change of frontmost
  application
  [ … ]     AppleScript's
  problem is the "timing"…           <==
          WRONG !!!
In order to display my current workspace's index in the right-side
  menu bar (as in older OSX versions: [2]) I use –and recommend!–
  Mat Ryer's app "BitBar" that lets you place any script in
  its plugins folder. Their names, e.g. "workspace.2s.sh", cleverly
  determine the interval between executions of the script:
  "2s" denoting every two seconds (minutes, hours, days…).
#!/bin/bash _/¯ osascript /Users/userName/.config/bitbar/Workspace.app calls a script that
  compares my desktop picture to a stored list and so returns my
  workspace number.


usage of 'nor' in the beginning of the sentence

Question: Consider a situation where Jonh and Amanda (They are friends ) go to a restaurant. John has never been here with a girl before and Amanda has never been here with any male friends.
Now John says" I have never been here with a girl". Then Amanda says" Nor have I been here with a boy".
Is the sentence said by Amanda correct ?
Comment: That's perfectly idiomatic although so is the alternative **neither** have I been here with a boy..
Comment: You will sometimes see a scene similar to this on some older movies, where the dialogue goes along the lines of, 'I have never been here with a girl'. With the rather ungrammatical response being, 'Nor have I. Ahh! Been here with a boy that is'.
Comment: ***Nor*** (and ***neither***) require that there should be at least *some* degree of "parallelism" between the two (negated) elements being contrasted. So in *John doesn't eat meat, nor does Amanda*, the paralleled element is ***not eating meat*** (which is contextually implicit for Amanda, so it doesn't need to be explicitly repeated). That parallelism is more strained in *John doesn't eat meat, nor does Amanda eat fish*, and it breaks down completely with disconnected assertions: *John doesn't eat meat, nor does Amanda drink vodka* or *John doesn't vote, nor does Amanda wear skirts.*
Answer: It is correct, although a bit formal sounding. Here in the US, the sentence "neither have I" is a very common response to "I have never..." statements.


Is there any disadvantage to sending rockets straight up?

Question: When we send satellite into space using a rocket, logically we consider the shortest path which is a straight line perpendicular to Earth's surface. My question is do rocket takes the shortest path to reach outer space or stray off intentionally at an angle from Earth's surface?
Comment: If you want to get an intuitive feeling for how this works, it's impossible not to recommend Kerbal Space Program :)
Comment: See [my answer to this question](http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/135003/escape-velocity-of-satellites), which is almost but not quite a duplicate of yours. If you send the rocket and satellite straight up the satellite is going to fall straight back down again!
Comment: I'm not a rocket scientist, but when a satellite is launched it needs to reach about 17,500 MPH, which is the orbital speed at satellite altitude.  It would probably be inefficient to go straight up the whole way, though they probably go straight up at first to reduce air resistance.    I'm sure they've got a pretty good idea on how to do it with efficiency.
Comment: The center of mass of the rocket's trajectory will acquire an angle to the surface of the earth due to the earth's rotation below it , anyway. Intentional changes in direction have to happen if the satellite is to reach a specific orbit .
Comment: What the rocket scientist wants is tangential velocity. Working against gravity is costly (you are losing 600m/s for every minute you are going straight up). Thanks to vectorial addition of acceleration and velocity this gets much better once the thick part of the atmosphere is left behind. Inside the atmosphere it's the aerodynamic forces that force rockets on their gradual change in direction. A small tilt from vertical has to become a large one over time, because rockets are very sensitive to shear forces, so they always have to fly "straight" in air once they pass a certain airspeed.
Comment: Anyone who wants to understand orbital mechanics should start by playing Kerbal Space Program.
Comment: See http://physics.stackexchange.com/q/5979/37364
Comment: Nobody mentioned this, but this is called a [gravity turn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_turn).
Comment: Hopefully not to add confusion, if the question was more about getting somewhere beyond Earth and not about launching satellites into orbit. Those who grew up during the "space race" should know that every mission to the Moon went partially around the Earth first. It's not the shortest distance but it's the most efficient because of what was called a slingshot effect of building up momentum till it finally breaks free.
Comment: The not-quite-true (due to Earth's rotation) but almost answer: Yes, it's that the rockets and their cargo would then come straight down.
Answer: It sounds like you are imagining that what satellites do is go up through the atmosphere, break through into outer space, and hang there. That is not right. If you simply go straight up to outer space (say 300 km above Earth's surface), gravity will pull you right back down, even if you've left the atmosphere, and you'll crash back into the Earth. Gravity is only about 10% weaker at 300km (which is well above the bulk of the atmosphere) than it is on the surface of the Earth
Satellites are not only ~300 km above the surface of the Earth, they are also orbiting. For a low-Earth orbit, satellites need to travel some 7,000 meters/sec horizontally (17,000 mph) in order to orbit.
Because getting to an orbit is a combination of getting through the atmosphere, getting up to the desired height, and getting the desired orbital velocity, (all while their mass is changing because they carry their fuel with them) rockets do not simply go straight up. Early on in a satellite launch, rockets usually go roughly straight up because the atmosphere is thick near the surface of the Earth and they're trying to get through it as quickly as possible. Later on, rockets tilt over and perform a combination of horizontal and vertical motion as they reach their orbit. The optimal path is a combination of avoiding drag and mixing height and orbital velocity together appropriately.
This is also why most satellites orbit in the same direction the Earth spins; by orbiting that way, they get a bit of free sideways velocity from Earth's rotation during launch.
Comment: tl;dr first images of [this](https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/)
Comment: As always, xkcd covers this well. https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/
Comment: I wonder if for a given rocket configuration the optimal path to orbit is unique.
Comment: @J.C.Leitão Yes, the orbital insertion routine is slightly different for each rocket based on it's individual capabilities.
Comment: A sentence or paragraph about the problems with lifting fuel you are just going to burn higher in the gravity well might be worthwhile.  (You already mention the "get out of the thick atmosphere quickly to reduce drag" requirement, and this is the opposing one, and why even an interplanetary craft might thrust sideways while in Earth orbit.
Comment: Yakk, yes, good point.
Comment: If a rocket launched from the equator were targeting a geosynchronous orbit directly over the launch site (implying that in the *rotating reference frame* it would appear to be going "straight up"), how would the fuel required to stay precisely over the launch site compare with the most fuel efficient path (and what would that path be)?
Answer: I highly recommend you download Kerbal Space Program and see for yourself (there's a free demo version)!
Typically the goal of a satellite is to orbit, and thus as the other answers address, you must build significant horizontal velocity. Indeed if the Earth didn't have an atmosphere, you could orbit a few km above the surface, so the main goal is building enough orbital (horizontal) velocity somewhat above the dense regions of the atmosphere.
If you only burned vertically with respect to the Earth, you will follow a trajectory similar to the one below:

I did want to add why you might WANT to travel 'vertically' only:

Your goal is to smash into something that is in orbit; you just want to reach a desired altitude at a given time (say, to destroy a satellite or an orbiting alien craft)
You want to crash land back on earth, say for Kinetic Bombardment ("Rods from The Gods")
You want to smash into other celestial bodies. In theory, the lowest energy trajectory to lunar bombardment is to launch 'straight up' at the right time to just beyond the Earth-Moon L1 Lagrange Point.

To get to the moon (well, smash into or flyby the moon), for example, you could 'launch straight up' and follow a trajectory like the one below. Note that you will have some horizontal velocity if you 'launch straight up', as you will inherit the rotational velocity at the surface depending on your launch site's latitude (~500 m/s at the equator, 0 m/s at the poles).

In the above scenario, I was a bit late on the launch timing and thus trailed behind the Mun (in game 'Moon'). The purple post-encounter trajectory would have landed me back onto the surface of the planet, with no stable orbit established, and launched from the equivalent of the equator.
Bottom line is, if you want to orbit, you need horizontal and (and initially some vertical) velocity with respect to the surface. You can save a bit of fuel if you just want to 'get there' (and then smash into something).
Comment: I was just going to suggest Kerbal Space Program (if you're into computer games, and rocket science!)

https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/en/
Comment: Agreed, I'll look for an Earth-Moon one and I'll draw in a trajectory
Comment: Picture posted showing the trajectory for a 'straight up' burn. I might try this in KSP later and post the video.
Comment: Also, here is a video that explains why rockets go sideways (and Kepler's First Law in general):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkWhVd6TjCI
Comment: Maybe even add a link to [KSP](https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/en/) in the main body of the post?  (or did I miss it?)
Comment: I've learned so much about rockets and physics in general from KSP.
Comment: Note that KSP does not in fact simulate Lagrange points (it uses spheres of influence instead of n-body dynamics)
Comment: Right, but crossing into the Moon's SOI is roughly equivalent to what I meant by crossing the Earth - Moon L1.
Answer: Rockets take the shortest path to reach their orbit.
If all we want to do is pop up to LEO and come back down again, then we do go straight up. See the first two Mercury missions for an example - they landed north of Nassau.
If you want to end up in orbit, you need substantial horizontal speed. Turning at right angles is the least fuel-efficient way to do this, so the launch trajectory is a complex function of where you are now compared to where you want to be, and "where" includes velocity and direction, not just position.
Comment: pop up to the _altitude_ of LEO, but I would argue that to go "to LEO" means the same as "achieving LEO".  (Unless maybe you are thinking of Ehryk's example, where you want your payload to "rendezvous" with an orbiting spacecraft for the purpose of destroying it.)
Answer: I'm sure this is an incomplete answer, and would only add to those already excellent, more knowledgeable answers, but I do know that rocket scientists try to situate their launch site as close to the equator as they can, so the Earth's diameter gives some extra "throw" as compared to higher latitudes. I expect when the rocket tilts toward the horizontal, it is leaning in the direction of the Earth's rotation, so it can simply accelerate the motion it already has.
some more explanation, because I love to explain:
That's one reason why the United States' facility is at Cape Canaveral, almost the southernmost point in the continental United States.  You could liken it to those tennis ball throwers dog owners use --the longer the stick (the distance from the center of the Earth), the more velocity you get.
If denser atmosphere slows down a rocket, the ideal launch site might be on a mountain in Colombia.  Unfortunately the logistics to launch any sizable satellite from there would be prohibitive.
Comment: Another reason to put launch sites close to the equator:  Geosync orbits must always be in the equatorial plane.  A launch from anyplace not on the equator means some kind of maneuver (more fuel burned) will be required to change the orbital plane.  The further the launch site is from the equator, the more the cost.  Just imagine the worst case:  Trying to achieve an equatorial orbit by launching from one of the poles!
Comment: Launch Site latitude is dependent on the orbit desired and chosen to minimize fuel. For a Polar orbit, the equator is the worst place to launch as you'll have to spend $500 m/s \Delta v$ extra fuel to cancel this effect, and the north or south poles would be ideal. For equatorial orbits the direction of Earth's rotation (including geostationary), indeed the equator is the ideal place to launch and has the minimum fuel requirements, but these 'ideal' locations have to be tempered against the practicality of getting a rocket and launch facility there.
Answer: It's not efficient that way. There is something called gravity turn. You need sideways velocity to stay in orbit and gravity turn essentially assists the rocket to turn sideways.
Comment: Gravity doesn't turn the rocket. It warps the space through which the rocket travels, such that geodesics are curved.
Comment: @BlackbodyBlacklight http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_turn


Islamic architecture

Question: Does the architectural style typical of most traditional Mosques represent the five pillars of Islam? Prime example, the four towers in corners and a central point? I don't literally mean "pillars", but symbolic.
Answer: No there's no connection between the five pillars and the architecture of traditional mosques unless we interpret into it.
Honestly speaking الاركان الخمسة (which is usually translated the five pillars) can also be translated the five corners which is in clear opposition to your description. See for example:

Nafi' reported on the authority of 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) did not touch but the Stone and the Yamani corner.
  عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، ذَكَرَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ لاَ يَسْتَلِمُ إِلاَّ الْحَجَرَ والرُّكْنَ الْيَمَانِيَ. (Sahih Muslim)

Nevertheless رُكن (singular of الاركان) also means pillar as it is defined as what ever corner/border/wall that supports something (see for example 11:80):

He said, "If only I had against you some power or could take refuge in a strong support."
  قَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِى بِكُمْ قُوَّةً أَوْ آوِى إِلَى رُكْنٍ شَدِيد

Beside the usual mosque has only one tower only the Mamluks and Othman's started to add additional towers (up to seven in the al-Masjid al-Haraam). Which partly are not meant to be used for the prayer call, which is rejected by some scholars.
See also the oldest mosques in WIkipedia.
Comment: Well darn, I thought I was on to something haha. Good to know. Thanks for your detailed reply!

Islamic architecture


How has the meaning of constitutio changed?

Question: The latest Nuntii Latini mentions the Spanish constitution in relation to the Catalonian independence movement.
It appears that in contemporary Latin a constitution is simply constitutio.
Judging by the entry in L&S, the word constitutio had a roughly similar meaning (II.C) in classical Latin, too.
Could someone explain what kind of "regulation", "order" or "arrangement" it means and how (if at all) it relates to the modern concept of a constitution?
I found it puzzling, but my impression is that the modern English "constitution" is something much more specific than the classical Latin constitutio.
Answer: My reading of the Lewis and Short entry is that constitutio meant an imperial edict, and over time, came to mean any law. The excerpted text of Justinian says:

quodcumque ergo imperator per epistulam promulgavit, vel cognoscens decrevit, vel edicto praecepit, legem esse constat; hae sunt quae constitutiones appellantur.

The Online Etymology Dictionary entry for "constitution" says that the English word came from that sense of the Latin.
It's possible that the semantic shift from "a law" to the modern meaning all occurred in English, and Neo-Latin writers just Latinized the English word "constitution", ignoring the gap between the Roman and modern connotations.
Comment: Welcome to the site and many thanks for the answer! Judging by this answer, perhaps it could be that a *constitutio* is a fundamental law given by the emperor, but the details would have to be worked out by lower judges. That corresponds well to the difference between constitution and law today. Does this sound plausible?
Answer: First of all there is a classical verb - constituo constituere constitui constitutum which means set up, bring about, arrange, decide, decree and some others. There is a noun "constitutum -i" meaning, among others things, "an agreed arrangement". Looking at "constitutum" one can see that it is a second declension neuter noun and it does not end in "ium", so "constituto" is either ablative or dative case, singular. The meaning of the ablative case is "by", "with", or "from" and the dative meaning is "to". That is how case changes the meaning of the noun above. Refer to the Classical Oxford Latin Dictionary p.462. I hope this helps.
Comment: Welcome to the site! I agree that *constitutio* (nominative of a third declension noun) comes from the verb *constituere*, but I don't think it's related to the dative or ablative *constituto*. However, I'm not surprised if *constitutio* and *constitutum* have similar meanings, and it certainly makes sense to explore both in this context.


How can there be hidur by mitzvos dirabanan?

Question: We find the concept of hidur by rabbinic mitzvos. For example menorah. I saw some paper qoute the rema that one should get new aravos for the 7 days of sukkos because of hiddur. The 7 days are also rabbinic. My question is, if you understand the obligation of mitzvos diraban is because of lo tasur (don't stray from what they tell you) meaning it's a lo taseh, if so what does one gain by doing hidur? Even if you don't do hidur you still didn't go against what the rabbis said.
Comment: vaguely related: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/82718/hiddur-mitzvah-for-a-laav-does-it-exist?rq=1
Comment: Thank you. They are very connected. I once wanted to bring a proof that there's hiddur by lo tasehs from menorah. But the logic behind it, I found difficult to understand. Hence the question.
Answer: The Netziv writes based on the Rambam that there is also a positive obligation to obey the Rabbis, from the beginning of the verse אשר יאמרו לך תעשה (that which [the Rabbis] say to you, do.) Otherwise, one would not be able to make a blessing on a Rabbinic mitzvah, as blessings are only said on positive commandments. Therefore, one can do a hiddur in fulfilling the positive commandment to listen to the Rabbis.
A second approach can be based on a principle of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (published in the sefer Tehillah l'Yonah to Maseches Megillah) that the commandment of Lo Sasur gives the Rabbis the authority to create commandments, even on people who are not obligated in other Mitzvos (like minors). So once the Rabbis create the mitzvah of lulav on all seven days, it could now also have hiddurim.


Would I be infringing on a patent with a accessory for the patented design?

Question: I have created a fooseball table (table soccer) accessory / design improvement depending on the aspect of which I can legally pursue also variation of product installation or the incorporation of the design into future tables. It is a ball return that is either automated (not perfected in working model but can be easily fixed with simple time delayed power off circuit) or by pushing a button which is 100% tested and working with a 100% success rate in over a years worth of testing without variation to design. I want to patent the idea but was led to believe I would need permission from the original patent holder for the fooseball table before I can make and sell the add on that I created. Now I know if I wanted to create a table with this incorporated in the design I would definatly need consent from the patent holder but do I if its just a add on to already sold tables. And what category would I file under if it is possible to patent? I have searched the USPTO website and google patents with inconclusive results. It was really difficult to navigate with accurate results. Or there is no such patent yet. My design incorporates a air injected pipeing system that collects and reissues the ball back to the field using the existing goal and service ports only modifying the goal collection box and adding pvc and blower motor. I can make a link to a video if it would help. But I think I have already said to much to keep it a secret. Its the key of unique design that protects me though. If a patent is out of the question should I try to pitch my idea to a fooseball table manufacturer or would they be in the same sitiation?
Comment: Can you identify the patent you are worried about?  Fooseball tables have been around a long time so I sort of doubt any original patents as unexpired.
Answer: I can't give you specific legal advice because I'm not a lawyer and because I do not know the specifics of the situation. Just because someone has a product does not mean it is patented. Foosball tables have been around for many, many years. Any original patents that might have existed are assuredly expired by now. This is one reason why there are so many different manufacturers of them. Thus, unless there is a specific patent you know exists you can't know what is protected by patent.
As for your new idea, it is a very, very bad idea to describe it here or anywhere else that is public. Whatever you publish is now prior art and can be used to prevent you from obtaining a patent. There is a grace period in the US, but it is still a very bad idea.
The only advice I can give is to consult with an actual patent attorney. They can determine if there are any active patents which prevent the sale of your invention. They can also help you file patents to protect your invention. If your idea is indeed patentable then I would advise filing a provisional patent application before discussing your idea with foosball table manufacturers or investors.
Answer: Your only need permission from someone else if they hold a patent that your device infringes upon. Merely being an accessory to something does not mean you need the permission of the maker of that something. However you would like to build a table that incorporates your device. Foosball is old enough that it is not too likely that there are patents covering the basic set up. I see only nine U.S. patents granted that have the word "foosball" in the abstract.
If you have a ball return that works better/different than existing ball returns (just my example) it is possible that there are patents on the existing devices that yours would infringe. It is also possible that the mechanism you have would infringe some patent completely unrelated to foosball.
You seem to think that you have not disclosed the key concept of your idea in asking this question  - I hope you are correct in that. Maybe more deadly, you have disclosed that you have been using it for over a year. Unless that use has been confidential or (for the U.S.) properly experimental, you may have lost all ability to get a patent.
You mentioned that you did not know what "category" to file under. There is no need for you to declare a category in order to file, but to do a prior art search you will need to find other related things. Under

A63F 7/06.  Games simulating outdoor ball games,

There is a CPC class -

A63F 7/0672   . .     {with play figures fixed to a rotatable and
longitudinally movable shaft}
Comment: Nice complementary answer to mine. One thing that makes searching tricky is that "foosball" has several alternative spellings and a relevant patent might not use that term at all.
Comment: thanks - spelled "fooseball" it has 0 hits at the USPTO.  The CPC class I cited  (spelling-free search) has 62 hits at the USPTO. 362 at Espacenet
Comment: I've see "fussball" too which is the german spelling. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fussball


Is there an idiom that means "accepting a bad business deal out of desperation"?

Question: Is there an idiom that means "accepting a bad business deal out of desperation"? If you can't think of something that means exactly that, can you think of an idiom that means "accepting less than you anticipated to get out of a business deal", or even more generally "trying to get any deal done"?
Answer: cut [one's] losses
Not exactly "trying to get any deal done" but one option similar in meaning may be 'cut your losses' which would be more in the context of exiting a situation as it stands rather than incur further losses, when you see that someone else has the upper hand (or just that you can't really improve your position).

to avoid losing any more money than you have already lost:
Let's cut our losses and sell the business before prices drop even
further.

You could "cut my losses and take this deal" rather than continue to negotiate and end up in a potential worse position.
to be [held] "over a barrel"

If someone has you over a barrel, they have put you in a difficult situation where you have little choice but to do what they want you to do.

You could say in this case e.g. "I accepted this deal although I knew it was bad, as I realised that they had me over a barrel".
Answer: Consider the idiom:

back to the wall
Meaning /definition:
  to be in a difficult situation,
  to have the odds against one's self,
  to have no way of being able to get away,
  to have no space to escape,
  to be caught by someone without having an easy escape route,
  to be trapped in a situation.

Example sentence:

I had my back to/against the wall when I was forced to close the deal.

Source: The Idioms
Answer: While not specific to business, the phrase "caught between a rock and a hard place" could be used to illustrate making a decision between two undesirable options.

caught between a rock and a hard place
Facing two equally unpleasant, dangerous, or risky alternatives, where the avoidance of one ensures encountering the harm of the other.

Similar to "the lesser of two evils".

the lesser of two evils
The somewhat less unpleasant of two poor choices
Answer: "hobson's choice" is one such idiom, meaning to accept a likely unpleasant option or none at all. In full it would be "to make Hobson's choice or "accept Hobson's choice" or similar. Originating (possibly apocryphally) with a stable owner that let the customer take the horse currently nearest the door or none at all.
Comment: a Hobson's choice


Filing for Education Expenses for Dependent

Question: My brother is my dependent and he lives with me! He goes to university and pay international tuition fees. Since, he has to pay international tuition our whole family contributes small amounts to make up for his fees. Now it is tax time and my family members are asking me to claim all his fees. I have only contributed a small amount like $1000. How should I go about claiming tax deductions on the education expenses for my brother which was contributed by the whole family and not only me!
Answer: You would probably have to consult a tax attorney to get a definitive answer, but my guess is that you can only claim deductions for your personal contribution.