Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with difference

Diamond vs. CZ

comatose — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:39:20 -0800

Can you tell the difference between a diamond and a cubic zirconia? Have you ever looked at a diamond and a cubic zirconia (same size and cut) side by side and could definitively could tell them apart?

If a well cut CZ was placed in a precious metal setting is there any way that the average person could tell it was not a diamond?

Almost every article I've read seems to agree that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a diamond and CZ without some sort of test or 10x magnification. Yet, every girl I've ever asked said that it is easy to tell the difference between the two. I have a hunch they are comparing a fairly plain CZ without many cuts set in cheap costume jewelery to well cut/faceted diamonds set in expensive metals. Any first hand experience would be interesting.

Do I break up with my (much older) boyfriend?

pintapicasso — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:21:39 -0800

Dead ex, fifteen year age difference, with jazzy tunes in the background.. help? (aka- do I dump my boyfriend?) I really appreciate some input on this. I need a perspective that is outside of the relationship.
Since last January I have been dating a guy on again and off again. I am 22 and he is 37. He is not a conventional 37 year old by any means - he is a (locally) well-known Jazz musician by trade, very flaky, and disorganized. He works odd jobs to make money but the driving force in his life is music. He is a loner by nature... he has a few friends, through music, but in his spare time he either hangs out alone or with me. The age difference hasn't been a huge problem because I, being 22, work odd jobs and am a bit loopy myself.
he came with a lot of baggage... his best friend and ex of eight years died unexpectedly a bit less than a year before we met and started dating. She was actually seriously dating someone else the entire time they were together.

We weren't friends first. We met, hit it off, hooked up, and kept up the routine. This is my first relationship and I really love him. He is my best friend and we have a blast together. (also the sex is great). It's wonderful to be so comfortable with someone. I think a lot of my euphoria may have to do with being in love with the relationship itself, as it's the first time I have experienced this.

Here's the problem (*dun dun dun*): One of the first few times we talked, he said that he felt "emotionally numb" after his friend died; as though he didn't feel like he would be able to have a connection like that again with someone. He said he didn't think he could date anyone for awhile, but after awhile we got together anyway. And now, over a year later, I feel like he is emotionally closed off. I was reading some poems of his in his journal (with his permission) and came across a letter he wrote to her. He was so passionate in his words, and he has never been that way with me, not to that extent ever. With me it's more playful, superficial and silly.

We also have different expectations of the time we spend together. Right now we have been spending more time together, after an off phase, and we see each other about two or three times a week. I would love to see him every other day, and at least talk to him once a day. He could go days without seeing me or talking to me (note - he saw his ex once a week at most, once every few weeks normally). He is incredibly sweet and happy to see me when we do get together, but I feel like I'm not a big part of his life.

The combination of these two things, plus all the baggage ("i'm not as independent/artistic/cool as his ex) make me really insecure. We talk about this, and I often express that I'm sad and want to see him more. And if not, I want more affirmation that I am important to him. He says that he is busy and that he just isn't up for being social, or wants to relax alone. This is the reason we (always me) decide to stop hanging out, because I am unhappy with the amount of time we spend together and I'm left wanting more. He says that he realizes the positive impact it has on me when he is open and assertive of our relationship (by calling me when he's sick, saying "I love you" bringing me flowers), but that sometimes it just feels "wrong" to be this way. (The time we spend together is always, always positive. Us expressing our appreciation for each other, being smiley, etc.. And, he never gets annoyed when I tell him I want to see him more, or when I do call him more. He just is sad that I am not always happy, and he always comes to see me in those moments.)

But we always wind up hanging out again and I have tried to cut off contact, but we always touch base after a week or so, get together, and have an awesome time. I don't know what to do. Am I a crazy punch-drunk 22 year old who needs to wake up and realize he's not going to come around? That's what my friends say but I just keep going back and they get mad. But I don't complain to them, and I keep this relationship pretty private.

We are on the upswing and I know the cycle is going to repeat itself unless I do something. To be honest, I want to know: is there even a CHANCE that he will change? and if not - and this is the main question - how do I cut this out?

(and yes, I've been casually dating other people but I just don't feel the same way about any of them).

Why are file sizes different on XP to Vista Machines??

maxmix — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:44:22 -0800

Why do file sizes vary from Windows XP to Vista????? I have been transfering Photo files from my old XP desktop to my new Vista Laptop and noticed that the file sizes were sometimes smaller on the Vista machine by 200MB on a 1Gig file. I initially thought that some pictures had been missed, so tried copying them again. Noticing that they were still smaller. I decided to count the actual pictures and there was the same amount!!!
So, how/why is this possible???????

Difference between backups?

edbyford — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:49:33 -0800

I have a large photo and music collection and find that sometimes I go to an folder and can't find files that were there before, and have had some problems with corruption. I have bought a new hard drive, but I want to set up a backup system which tells me what has changed before making any changes... So now I have my new hard drive ('A'), and am about to clone the old one ('B') onto it.

What I'm imagining is that I copy all my music and photos from A to B, then once a week I run a program which tells me what has changed between A and B, and then if I approve then the program copies the changes from A to B.

What I'm particularly interested is whether any files have become corrupted (which I guess would be shown by a difference in the file size), or if any files have been deleted.

I already have a backup system (JungleDisk) but I find it a chore to sift through the backup logs in order to find out what has changed, and of course by the time its in the log JungleDisk has already copied the changes. What I'm looking for is something easy to compare, and then approve.

Thanks in advance! If I've been unclear in any part of this question, don't hesitate to ask for clarification in your replies!

Do fish wear lipstick?

Solomon — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:57:45 -0800

What are some things that humans do, that no other animal species does? Things like "humans use computers" isn't what I'm looking for, because other animals (chimps, some birds) use tools. A certain species of monkey copulates to affirm social status, even the infants - they don't do it just to reproduce. Beavers modify their environment to suit themselves.

I'm thinking of things like blushing through embarrassment, laughing, etc. As far as I'm aware, human beings are the only species that domesticated animals to suit their own purposes, or that plant seeds to raise crops. Or that wear clothes. Or that commit suicide. Those are the sort of things I'm looking for.

How do I cope with being in love with an older man?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:10:54 -0800

I am very much falling for a (much) older man. How do I handle this? For a year or two now I have a very interesting toeing-the-lines relationship with a man much older than myself. We are compatible on about a bajillion levels, aside from him making me fluttery in my stomach and hot in other areas. I've been with plenty of guys before (both my own age and older) but none of this has compared to the way I feel about him.

The problem is, he's about twenty years older than I am. From what I've observed, this is social taboo for anyone who isn't marrying for money or fame by proxy. Is it worthwhile trying to pursue this? He's been married before (and has a daughter, who, awkwardly, is older than I am), and has dated plenty of women between my age and his own, so I don't think this is just the novelty of a younger girl to him. I guess it's what you'd call a May-December relationship.

He's good for me on the level that he's helped me break out of my shell some and learn to communicate better... I just don't know if it will feasibly work on other levels. What do you think, AskMeFi? Does this have a chance? I really, really care for this man, but how hard is society going to make it for me to pursue this? Any anecdotal advice would be superb.

What's the difference between highways and freeways/the interstate in the US?

pravit — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 03:17:32 -0800

What's the difference between highways and freeways/the interstate in the US? Got curious after noticing everyone made the distinction in this question. The answers would make it seem like a highway is a road that does not require you to enter via an entry ramp, that it may have intersections or pedestrian traffic, and that it is an alternative to taking the interstate. However, where I live, I can't think of any way to get to the next major city without getting on the interstate, unless you were to drive along the frontage road, which is hardly what I would call a highway. Until reading the AskMe question, I've never heard anyone make the distinction between the interstate and the highway. Perhaps this is a regional difference? I live in a smaller city in the southwestern US along I-10 and have never driven in other parts of the country.

Also, I read the Wikipedia articles and googled around a bit, but I'm still not very clear on the distinction.

Is my professor hitting on me?

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 17:01:46 -0800

I think my professor is hitting on me, what should I do? Does anyone have any advice? I am a an undergrad in a small department at a large university. It is a fairly close, friendly department, and not a formal or stuffy environment. I am in my late 20s (but I blend w/ the 'regular' student population well), and am working on a project with a well-respected faculty member. Everybody likes him. He is about 30 years older than me, and his wife died (under tragic circumstances) more than 10 years ago.

Recently, I met with him briefly at his office, and he suggested that maybe I could come over to his house, he would make dinner, and we could discuss the project. I thought it was a little odd, so I asked some of my friends in academia if this was a common practice. They said that mostly it was, but the fact that it was a single female meeting at a widowed male professor's home was a little unorthodox. But, they said, because he is so high profile, and highly respected, it was probably not a big deal.

So I went. I suppose that I should say that he is really a very nice guy-he's smart, he's funny, really interesting. It was nice. I read over some relevant papers while he finished cooking dinner. We talked about the project some, but most of the conversation was him asking me questions about myself. Nothing too prying, but I thought it was a little odd. I have difficulty in identifying intent in my interactions with people (or you can just say i'm oblivious), so I don't really trust my judgement when it comes to this kind of thing. He didn't do anything inappropriate. He did tell me about his wife, which nobody except for the faculty that were in the department at the time knows about. He travels a lot, and mentioned how it would be nice to have a partner to travel with. There were a couple of other ambiguous things that he said, that struck me as odd. But it was a nice time.

I emailed him later in the week with a question about the graduate program. He responded by saying that we could either meet in his office or maybe meet and discuss the programs over dinner. I have met him in his office once since then, and we talked about the project, and just chatted in general. He did manage to slip in asking questions about me again, including whether or not I have a significant other.

He is really encouraging me to apply to the graduate program, and he is one of the few that have funding. My friend suggested that maybe he is asking so many questions to gauge whether or not I would be able to handle the workload, and to judge my character. I don't know how valid this idea is, but I do know that I don't want people to think that I got into grad school any other way than by working hard and being a good student.

I could be wrong (I don't think so, but it's possible), and he could just be extremely nice and friendly. I did find out (I am friends with someone who used to work for the department that knows him well) that he dated a grad student a few years back, he was going to propose, and he found out she was cheating on him. This really hurt him, because I guess it was the first time he had put his heart out there since his wife passed away. My friend also said that she knew he was looking for someone in their 20s-30s, because he doesn't want to bury another wife-that he's not a dirty old man or something. She says that he is very ethical, and wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize either of our careers or reputations. She does think it's odd that he would pursue (if he is, she isn't sure either) a current student. The other girl had already left the department.

I am aware that it is a really bad idea for this sort of thing to be going on. The power differential, the potential for really nasty rumors and ethical violations, etc. It really upset me initially. I checked the school website...there is an anti-harassment policy, but no policy is set on Professor-Student relationships. But then (and I am kinda embarassed to say this) I thought about how he is really a fascinating person, and that even though he is old enough to be my dad (he doesn't act it-he's very active), I think that he possesses a lot of the qualities that I am looking for in a partner. I kind of think that I'm crazy for even considering it. At the same time, I wonder if I would be missing out on something. I hope that someone knows what I mean. I'm not super comfortable with the age difference right this second, but is it really an issue?

Does anyone have any advice or input for this situation? Does anyone have any personal experience with the situation, or with dating someone that much older than themselves? Am I reading it wrong? I am not reacting one way or the other until he does something that clearly indicates interest (or has that already happened?). Do you think it's creepy, or does age really not make a difference? I am really unsure of this. Any and all replies are welcomed, and I thank you in advance for any advice that you can give.

Algorithm for file comparison

Khalad — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 08:32:21 -0800

I'm looking for the appropriate algorithm to use to compare two files. I think I can do better than diff due to some added constraints. What I have are two text files each containing a list of files. They are snapshots of all the files on my system, one old and one new. I want to figure out which files have been added or deleted between the two snapshots.

I could use diff to compare these files, but I don't want to because:

(a) I want to have the code inline and don't want to invoke an external tool. My project is not GPL and so I can't just take the diff source code.
(b) diff tries to group changes together, finding which chunks in a file have changed. I'm only looking for a list of lines that have changed, and that should be a much simpler problem than finding the longest-common-subsequence or some such thing.
(c) Generalized diff algorithms are O(mn) in runtime or space. I'm looking for something more like O(m+n) in time and space.

Here are the constraints on the problem:

(a) The file listings are in the same order in both files. They are not necessarily in alphabetical order, but they are in the same order.
(b) Most of the time there will be no differences between the lists. If there are differences, there will usually only be a handful of new/deleted files.
(c) I don't need to group the results together, like saying "this entire directory was deleted" or "lines 100-200 are new". I can individually list each line that is different.

I'm thinking this is equivalent to the problem of having two sorted lists and trying to figure out the differences between the two lists.

I'm sure there must be a solved problem, but I'm not sure what to search for as far as algorithm names or the name of the problem. That would be most helpful, if you can point me to an algorithm for this or even just the academic name for this problem.

Thanks!

How to determine real from ruse member, on the outside?

vanoakenfold — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 21:35:45 -0800

How can the difference be determined between a genuine member vs. a fake member bent on deceptive overthrowing/subverting of a socio-political group's public perception (speaking from an outsider's POV, not belonging to either group)? Say for instance a group of people B wanted to libel or damage a socio-politcal group A's reputation in the public eye. Could that group B not all simply pose as an A-chapter and commit atrocities in the name?

As an example, many Muslim clerics downcast suicide bombers as legitimate martyrs because it's starkly against the teachings of the Qur'an. But now that the damage has been done, a discredit has been placed (in the eyes of many) that Islam is a violent religious group, despite their actual text which promotes peace.

How has this been seen historically, and if such were done today, how could we tell the difference? Is it really just one word against another?

Difference between $1 bill or a $100 bill!

spooksie — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 14:46:54 -0800

How does a blind person know the difference between any american bank notes? For example the difference between $1 bill or a $100 bill? To my knowledge there is no embossing or raised parts on the bill the tell the difference. Plus the size of the notes are all the same.

What's the deal with "value" RAM from namebrand companies?

Caviar — Fri, 08 Apr 2005 20:47:34 -0800

I'm looking at some Corsair value RAM (2x512M for $93). But Corsair also has RAM of the same specs for more than twice the price (1x512 for $106): As far as I can tell, the specs are identical, except for CAS latency (and they're both some variation on CL3), and the voltage is slightly different. What's the real difference between different "grades" of RAM from the same manufacturer with the same specs? Under what circumstances will any differences manifest?