The "This Might Be A Stupid Question, But...." Thread

[guihong]

How do you make a pound sterling or Euro symbol on your keyboard?  Is there a key you can "activate", or do you need a special kind of keyboard to make that?

[2littlemonkeys]

How do you make a pound sterling or Euro symbol on your keyboard?  Is there a key you can "activate", or do you need a special kind of keyboard to make that?

On a Mac, it's option and 3

On a PC, it's alt and 156 (I think?)

ETA: That was for the £ symbol.  I'm not sure about the € symbol on a PC.  On a mac, it's option, shift and 2.

[jpcher]

A plethora of character quick-keys:

http://www.nouilles.info/keyboard_shortcuts.html#chart

[Catananche]

I use the Alt Gr button and then hit the 5. It's the key where the € is located.
Alt Gr is next to my spacebar.
 
short cuts for other things
' and "= next to shift on my keyboard
` and ~ = on the top left
é = ' + e
è = `+ e
ë = shift ' + e
ñ = shift`+ n
ç = ' + c
Ç = ' + shift c
ä, ü, ï are now easy
á, ú and í are now also easy
and finally à, ù and ì.

[guihong]

I don't know if I have a Mac or a PC  , and I don't seem to have the keys anybody's mentioned.  I'm sorry, thanks anyway .

[Dazi]

I don't know if I have a Mac or a PC  , and I don't seem to have the keys anybody's mentioned.  I'm sorry, thanks anyway .

If you have Windows, you have a PC.

[Diane AKA Traska]

Easy answer:
Control key?  PC
Command key?  Mac

[jpcher]

I don't know if I have a Mac or a PC  , and I don't seem to have the keys anybody's mentioned.  I'm sorry, thanks anyway .

No worries! We're here to help!


I'm betting you have a PC.

In which case the "alt" key is on the bottom row, left side, below the "shift" key (maybe 2 keys over?).

Hold down the "alt" key, then press "0163" -- on my work computer (a tower), you need to use the number keypad, not the top row of numbers (not sure how it works on a lap top, sorry! I don't have a PC to test. )


If it's a Mac, there will be a small apple icon at the far left side on the top-most menu bar.

If you do have a mac, the "option" key is also on the bottom row. Hold down the "option" key and hit the number "3" = £


If I didn't explain it clearly enough, please let us know . . . that's what this thread is all about, asking stupid questions and getting answers without feeling foolish.


(There's no such thing as a stupid question! )

    Alt+0163

[guihong]

£ £ £ £ ♣ £ 

My next question would have been "where's the number keypad?", before I thought, "Oh, the numbers off to the right!" .

And yes, I've finally found I have a PC.

[lady_disdain]

Weird question for bakers. Why does the sugar make a chocolate batter  become much darker?

I was baking a cake on Friday at the same time as I was doing several other things (pro tip: don't multitask while baking). This is a recipe for disaster, of course. As I poured the batter into the pan, I noticed it was a lighter, creamier colour than usual, so I tasted it. Yuck - I had forgotten the sugar. I added the sugar and, as I stirred, the batter went from a light brown to a deep, dark chocolaty colour. Why?

Note - it was an oil based cake, so no need to cream butter and sugar first, which is how I ended up forgetting the sugar.

[jpcher]

£ £ £ £ ♣ £ 

My next question would have been "where's the number keypad?", before I thought, "Oh, the numbers off to the right!" .

And yes, I've finally found I have a PC.

 

[Carotte]

What was special about yesterday, in the US, that tv shows like Bones or How I met Your Mother didn't air/had an episode?
I can usualy catch them a few hours after they are broadcasted, and often there are those days where there's nothing new to watch and I have no idea why (because I'm in europe).

[Virg]

Dianne AKA Traska wrote:

"Easy answer:
Control key?  PC
Command key?  Mac"

This struck me as odd, because the way I've always specified is, Apple logo on the machine, it's a Mac.  No Apple logo, It's a PC.

Virg

[ladyknight1]

Weird question for bakers. Why does the sugar make a chocolate batter  become much darker?

I was baking a cake on Friday at the same time as I was doing several other things (pro tip: don't multitask while baking). This is a recipe for disaster, of course. As I poured the batter into the pan, I noticed it was a lighter, creamier colour than usual, so I tasted it. Yuck - I had forgotten the sugar. I added the sugar and, as I stirred, the batter went from a light brown to a deep, dark chocolaty colour. Why?

Note - it was an oil based cake, so no need to cream butter and sugar first, which is how I ended up forgetting the sugar.

I am a baker, and I am not certain why. Even my google-fu turned up no answers. 

[kherbert05]

What was special about yesterday, in the US, that tv shows like Bones or How I met Your Mother didn't air/had an episode?
I can usualy catch them a few hours after they are broadcasted, and often there are those days where there's nothing new to watch and I have no idea why (because I'm in europe).

Feb Sweeps are over - they will be saving new episodes for May Sweeps then the season will be over for broadcast networks. Cable networks don't do the sweeps thing as much and tend to have 2 1/2 seasons. You will see some shows mentioned having season 4 and season 4.5. Cable networks tend to air new episodes in blocks during times the broadcast networks are airing repeats.


Sweeps - a time when ratings are measured to set advertising rates. There are those here in the industry that can explain this better.


Spring Break - At least were I am many of the districts and private schools are out for the week and many families are on vacation.  Spring Break season tends to run from First full week in March until Easter/end of March.  Used to go into April but now April tends to be the season of THE TEST - when states give their big high stakes test.


In Texas will give our first test the week after Easter. 4th grade writing (2 days) because that take a long time to grade, and 5th grade Reading and Math because they have to pass it to go to the 6th grade. They get three chances 2 in the school year and 1 during the summer. (I teach elementary so can't recall tests for the upper grades off the top of my head but some of them will be testing that week also).