Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with marks

Help me get these quotes right.

HeyAllie — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:30:14 -0800

Editors, I need your help with quotation marks! Which is correct? a) I sent him an article about "The X Factor". b) I sent him an article about "The X Factor." I've seen it used both ways. I tend to use option B, but more and more lately, I'm seeing option A as the more common usage.

Share your confidence game stories

Wink Ricketts — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:03:01 -0800

Have you been conned? Would you share your story? I'm working on a small book proposal, more of an art book (working on an MFA), around the theme of hustlers and con artists. It is sort of a combo cautionary "Here's how you can be scammed" and exploration of the romantic image we seem to have for conartists.

Part of what I'm hoping to explore how we're fooled and why. What is the psychology / theatrics of the moment. Its all very easy to say "well you should know better" but it seems to me that having a couple of people putting the hard core hustle on you, could easily befuddle even people aware of the scams.

And, of course, on the off chance someone actually IS a confidence man or a hustler, I'd like to talk to you too.

So, if you've a story to share, I'd love to hear it. If you'd rather just share your story by email: thimblerigged@gmail.com

Excel delimited text import FAIL

mwhybark — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:59:24 -0800

Excel is chapping my hide. I have a comma-delimited .csv which contains quote-demarcated text fields. The source of my never-ending joy is the recurrent use of inch-marks and commas within the textfields. Right this way... EXAMPLE

TEXTFIELD1, NUMFIELD, TEXTFIELD2
"3" widget, black",1,"3" widget, black"
"Assorted widgets, 3"",1,"Assorted widgets, 3""

this renders in Excel after careful use of the text-import wizard (using backslash-tab to represent cols)

TEXTFIELD1\tNUMFIELD\tTEXTFIELD2\n
3 widget, black"\t1\t3 widget, black"\n
Assorted widgets, 3",1,Assorted widgets, 3""\n

The semi-random removal of in-text-field quotes is repeatable, so there are actual rules being applied.

Excel CAN'T be this brain dead, can it?

I mean, .csv and comma-delimited are OOOOOLD standards. Freeform textfields containing inch-marked and comma-ed product data has to be the very oldest text-and-data management problem in the book.

How can I slap the spreadsheet around to obtain proper data I/O?

PLEASE HOPE ME!

Can I get into a grad program in Canada?

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:50:43 -0800

How likely is it that I'm going to get into a grad program in Canada? I've been in university for 8 years now; some of it part-time, dropped out twice and was put on AP once (dropped out mid semester, getting two F's). Other than the two fails, I have 7 discontinued courses on my resume too (courses I dropped out a little too late to be stricken from the record).

My GPA otherwise is in the 3.8 range. I recently returned to school with 7 credits left and my GPA for those credits will likely be around the 3.8 range as well. The F's and the discontinued were as a result of some indecision and youthful mistakes when it came to my education.

At the end of this, I'll have a degree in economics with minors in philosophy and political studies. I'll have a 4.0 in my major marks but my last two years are incredibly disjointed and includes two F's. The last 7 courses will indicate, I guess, that I'm able to do the work at the university level but I realize that my record has red flags all over it.

What is the likelihood that I'm going to get into a grad program (economics or philosophy) in Canada with such an up/down track record? Is there anything I can do to prove my worth? Should I work awhile before I apply?

Sad report card.

Phalene — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:11:36 -0800

Recovering from a bad semester filter: Can I swing this 2.86 into something less crappy? I think I screwed myself by getting depressed my first semester as a transfer student, but time machines with psychotherapists don't seem to be an option. I transfered into a new university. I went from A's to all B's and a C+. While this university is much better, both by reputation and quality of professor, I want to raise my grades in the remaining 1.5 years I have left, because it would be nice to be in a better position for law school. I'm a pretty hard worker when I'm not suffering from depression (hence why my grades tanked), so can I turn a 2.86 into something a bit less crappy in a year an a half? I miss having an honours average and I'm sad about thinking the odds of grad school or a nice law school are seriously reduced.

Why has the dentist left blue marks on my teeth?

Kirn — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:46:49 -0800

I've just had 3 white enamel fillings in the bottom-left corner of my mouth. Looking in the mirror, I now have a small bluish-gray mark at the nearest 'peak' of each molar. Should I be worried? The only reference to 'blue marks' I can find online is here, where it's stated that blue marks can be put on teeth (and then removed!) in order to file down the high points of newly fitted crowns.

But I don't have any crowns, and I don't know what to make of these blemishes, given that I paid (considerably) more to get white enamel instead of metal fillings.

What are these marks? Did my dentist not finish the job properly? Should I be worried?

How can I get my college prof to admit he is wrong, and give me the marks I deserve?

Tachoh — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:52:15 -0800

College prof keeps marking my math tests incorrectly. What do I do? Heya Metafilter,

I am in community college now, planning on going to something a little more serious when I graduate this year.

I am getting a 99% in my math course, doing really well. Recently, however, my mark has taken a hit due to the fact that my math prof marked 2 questions that were correct as incorrect due to the fact that he does not fully understand the answer.

I tried explaining the answer to the question to him in class, but he does not like to be told he is wrong and went around the question. It was clear in his explaination to the class that he did not know how I arrived at the answer I did and said "well, what I do know is that you got it wrong"

Short of actually sitting this guy down and teaching him how to do these problems, how can I get the marks I deserve?

Has anyone else ever had this issue? Should I go to the dean? I really don't want to cause a scene or harm this prof in any way.

Please advise.

She'd have such a lovely face, except...

droplet — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:07:40 -0800

SkinFilter: What skin care regimen would help my oily, zit-prone face? Are there EFFECTIVE lighteners that aren't hydroquinone to get rid of old brown marks? I'm caramel-y colored. I get zittified regularly. These zits, while small and relatively few in number, are an angry red and are painful, which is why I have picked at them. Bad call. My face is covered with dark brown marks (they're not exactly scars) from that and also from tweezing out stray coarse hairs before they were fully erupted.

I'm still not sure what products to use to care for my skin, and I've gone through dozens over the years. Right now I'm using Basis to wash 2x a day, but no moisturizing and no toner since I don't know what to use and don't want to make things worse. I feel the many, many little unseen pimples and I know that in a few days some of them will burst out like an old moonshiner chasing off the ATF. I used a prescribed course of 4% hydroquinone in the past, but the oil base just caused more zits, which I picked and created more dark brown marks. I despair looking in the mirror. I live in NYC, so I'd also be interested in any recs for a dermatologist who specializes in skin of color.

Yes, I've stopped picking at my face.

Dust spots? Water marks? Crud on film?

Geckwoistmeinauto — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:59:57 -0800

Why am I getting blotches on my black and white negatives? What are the marks? Are they dust? Water spots? How do I fix this? I'm a relative newbie when it comes to film photograhpy, but I've been doing digital photography for a few years. I develop my own black and white film at home, and I've been less than pleased with the results when I scan my film. I have the dreaded 'crap on the negative' issue. It's started off so bad that I couldn't even print my negatives using an enlarger due to the amount of junk on the negs. Exhibit A - a crop at 100% of a corner of a negative.

Here's how I develop, and what I've done so far to fix this:

I mix all my chemicals using tap water. I'm using the standard Sprint developer and quick fixer, and stop my film using plain ol' tap water. I do a first rinse using tap water. This is all deemed fine by general consensus of photography dorks everywhere. I am using a plastic 2 135 roll development tank, capacity for two rolls of film 650ml.

I dry my film hanging from the shower bar, after the hot water was run to make the room nice and steamy and left to clear. The bathroom isn't dusty, and there hasn't been any dust on any surfaces, really, since we moved in. I make sure no one cleans the bathroom at least I24 hours before I hang film to dry. I determine dryness by curl (towards emulsion), and if the curl is correct, I test a 'spare' area of film for tackiness. Once I deem the film dry, I cut and place the negs in new archival sheet holders.

The first few rolls I developed came out disgusting, with obvious spots, water marks around the sprockets, and other disgustingness.

After much discussion with the guys at the darkroom I use to print my photos, they felt I should try a squeegee for my film. I also decided to use distilled water for a final rinse, about half a gallon of water. When I asked about a wetting agent, they claimed that it will cause more problems than it solves with regards to spots.

My negs were slightly cleaner, but still spotty and I could see a few nasty, large water spots here and there. Also, I have noticed some gnarly scratches that may have been caused by the squeegee OR the archival sleeves I put my negatives into once dry.

So, please, take a look at that shot, and let me know if you think those are dust spots or (more likely) water spots. Should I look into photoflo, or another wetting agent? Is the squeegee the cause of the scratches, or could it be more likely my negative holder sheets? I'm starting to get sick of fixing dust scratches in the gimp, and I'd like to make some nice analog enlargements of some of my negatives!

Thanks!

When will my bruises go away?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:55:44 -0800

Two months ago, someone hit me hard on both of my arms. I still have marks. When will they go away? After that person hit me, I got big bruises on my arms for two to three weeks. I thought they had gone, they don't hurt anymore but I can still see slight marks. I don't think people around me notice them but I'm pretty sure they would if I pointed them out.

Is that normal to still have marks two months later? How long does it usually take for bruises to go away? What can I do to make them go away? I applied some cream for a few days after I got hit but it was to relieve the pain, not to make the bruises disappear. I'm a healthy, 23 year old woman. However, I know that I have a sensitive skin. When someone touches me or when I scratch myself, I get red marks on my skin that go away minutes later (I suffer from rash and dermatitis and something else that makes my skin react to the touch), but I don't know if it applies to bruises.

I'm getting worried. I'm pretty tanned right now, and if these bruises stay for too long, I'm afraid that people will be able to see them when my sun tan goes away.

Metal Marks on China Dishes

Alex Marshall — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 17:58:59 -0800

Can metal from forks or utensils come off on china plates, cups and other dishes, and if so, does anyone know how to stop it or fix it? Here's the problem: for some time now, my wife and I have noticed that our china teacups were marked up with dark marks. At first we thought it was a problem with the dishes. Then we traced it back to a cheap cappucino frother that was apparently leaving bits of chrome or stainless steel on the teacups when we used to to froth the milk. We got rid of the frother, and end of problem -- initially. Then some time passed. We noticed new dark marks on the outer edge of our china bowls. We traced it, I think definitively, to the inexpensive dishwasher we have and the fact that the edges of the china bowls hit the shiny metal edge of the dishwasher when you push the loaded tray inside. The thing is, these marks will not rub off easily, if at all. That was also the case with the marks inside the teacups. Now a third and similar problem has arisen. We have noticed that the surface of many of our plates are getting marks on them. Could it come from our quite inexpensive flatware that I bought a long time ago when I was single? As with the other marks, these will not rub off. I don't really know what's going on here. But my theory is that cheap stainless steel will rub off or leave marks on ceramics or porcelain. Is this true? If it is true, does anyone know how to get the marks off? I'm thinking of buying a pumice stone, or something like that. But I'd also like to know for sure that the marks are coming from the metal components. Any info or insight anyone?

Scuff marks on black shiny leather shoes

sirion — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 09:56:01 -0800

How do I avoid scuffing my new shiny black shoes? What do I do about scuffs that are already there? Tell me everything there is to know about scuffs and maintaining nice shoes. I need to wear shiny black shoes about 2x/week, and I decided to get a nice new pair to wear on particularly special occasions, since my old ones are so scuffed up. After the first 15 minutes of wear, I had acquired a scuff mark. After an hour, I had several scuff marks. Where are these coming from? Am I kicking one shoe with the other shoe when I walk? What on earth can I do about that?

OutDamnedSpotFilter:

nj_subgenius — Sat, 21 May 2005 13:44:04 -0800

Nice white walls in the new place, a few bad scuffmarks from the moving hooligans...help! The walls are drywall, paint is flat finish. What's a good method/product/thing to get rid of these? Painting is not an option...thanks.

How do I remove marks left by a metal drain snake inside a toilet bowl, below the waterline?

NortonDC — Fri, 02 Jan 2004 17:59:23 -0800

How do I remove marks left by a metal drain snake inside a toilet bowl, below the waterline?