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

[Slartibartfast]

How do Olympic figure skaters not get freezing cold out there?  Every rink I've ever been in is uncomfortable without a coat, let alone in a skimpy outfit.  If they have to fake it, it's great acting!

The outfits also aren't as skimpy as they look - if you pay close attention, you can often see that much of the "bare skin" is actually flesh-colored costume.

[Dindrane]

How do Olympic figure skaters not get freezing cold out there?  Every rink I've ever been in is uncomfortable without a coat, let alone in a skimpy outfit.  If they have to fake it, it's great acting!

The outfits also aren't as skimpy as they look - if you pay close attention, you can often see that much of the "bare skin" is actually flesh-colored costume.

And the tights they wear are pretty substantial. They're not like sheer nylons one would wear to the office...they really are opaque tights, and probably pretty warm.

[Dazi]

How do Olympic figure skaters not get freezing cold out there?  Every rink I've ever been in is uncomfortable without a coat, let alone in a skimpy outfit.  If they have to fake it, it's great acting!

The outfits also aren't as skimpy as they look - if you pay close attention, you can often see that much of the "bare skin" is actually flesh-colored costume.

And the tights they wear are pretty substantial. They're not like sheer nylons one would wear to the office...they really are opaque tights, and probably pretty warm.

I think their skating is much more physically intense.  It's just not the same as you or I skating around a rink.  The best analogy I can come up with is between running and walking at a leisurely pace.  I can walk for a very long time without breaking a sweat, but if I start jogging I get warm/hot very quick. 

Also, those outfits are thicker than one might think.  Have you ever seen them wipe out and notice that those "stockings" don't run/rip?  They are actually pretty thick tights.  All the flesh color across the chest, back, and down the arms is material too.

[Dazi]

In your experience/opinion, what would you consider an normal average of days per year for someone to call in sick to work?  Examples: once every month, two months, 5, 10 days a year? What do you consider excessive?

[Outdoor Girl]

I know what my workplace considers excessive.

We get 6 sick days a year at full pay.  Then we have short term sick leave that kicks in where you only get 2/3 of your pay.  If you end up using STSL for sick days, you generally get called in for a little chat at more than 8 days total off.

And I think for the average person, this is pretty reasonable.

I'm the anomoly; I have only used all 6 days once in 10 years and that was because I got bronchitis.

[Bexx27]

I used a sick day possibly once a year, maybe even less, until I had kids. Now it's not so much that I get sick more (I do, but just colds) but that I have to use sick days to stay home when my kid is sick. Daycare guidelines mean that even minor symptoms will keep her out for 2-3 days because she needs to have been symptom free for a full 24 hours. Thanks to frequent colds, chronic ear infections, and medical appointments, I've used all 12 of my sick days each year since she was born.

[camlan]

In your experience/opinion, what would you consider an normal average of days per year for someone to call in sick to work?  Examples: once every month, two months, 5, 10 days a year? What do you consider excessive?

For a normal, healthy adult--3-5 days a year. If they are required to use sick days for doctor/dentist appointments, at least 5.

But if they have a medical problem, like surgery for appendicitis, two weeks.

If they have small children and their employers requires them to use their sick days to take care of sick children at home, all available sick days that they have.

A lot depends on the expectations of the employer, as well. I've worked places where you were expected to show up unless you were hospitalized. And I've worked other places where if you had a cold or the flu or a stomach bug, they wanted you to stay home so that the entire office wouldn't come down sick.

My brother was hit by a car while riding his bicycle one Saturday. His leg was broken and required surgery, which couldn't be done until Monday. So he was in the hospital from Saturday to Tuesday, released from the hospital Tuesday, took Wednesday off as he still felt groggy and returned to work on Thursday. On Friday, he was called into the big boss's office and counseled on his "excessive" absences. Yes, Monday-Wednesday, the first three sick days he had taken in 5 years of employment at that company. (He was also told to stop riding his bike. Six months later, he had a new job.)

[demarco]

I have a question about streaming video. If I had something like HBO Go which, provides  on demand access to some HBO programs, can I "stream it" and then watch it later when I don't have internet access or do I have to watch it as it arrives on the laptop?  The specific case I am thinking of is streaming content at the airport to watch on the plane.

[Slartibartfast]

I have a question about streaming video. If I had something like HBO Go which, provides  on demand access to some HBO programs, can I "stream it" and then watch it later when I don't have internet access or do I have to watch it as it arrives on the laptop?  The specific case I am thinking of is streaming content at the airport to watch on the plane.

If it's streaming, you have to watch it right then.  If it's downloadable, you can watch it later.  Some places offer both, but usually you can only (legally) download content you've actually purchased - not just paid a subscription for.

[Ser Lucien Liliane]

I have a question about streaming video. If I had something like HBO Go which, provides  on demand access to some HBO programs, can I "stream it" and then watch it later when I don't have internet access or do I have to watch it as it arrives on the laptop?  The specific case I am thinking of is streaming content at the airport to watch on the plane.

I'm pretty sure you can't watch streamed content later. You'd have to actually download it to do that; streaming doesn't save the program onto your computer.

[BigBadBetty]

I have a question about streaming video. If I had something like HBO Go which, provides  on demand access to some HBO programs, can I "stream it" and then watch it later when I don't have internet access or do I have to watch it as it arrives on the laptop?  The specific case I am thinking of is streaming content at the airport to watch on the plane.

You can, but you would need to buy some software like GetFLV to do it. I would be weary of using any free software that claims to do it. That may install malware on your computer.

[Betelnut]

In your experience/opinion, what would you consider an normal average of days per year for someone to call in sick to work?  Examples: once every month, two months, 5, 10 days a year? What do you consider excessive?

It varies but I would consider it excessive if a person uses up all their sick leave and is unable to "build up" a bank of sick leave (if that's how your company works--if you can't build up a bank, I think it makes sense to use all of your leave every year). 

At my work, sick leave rolls over, year after year and it is simply prudent to try to build that bank up.  I had cancer two years ago and had over 800 hours of sick leave in my bank.  After six months of chemo and day off for feeling weak and sick, I still have several hundred hours left.

3-5 days a year seems, to me, to be the average.

[gramma dishes]

When I was teaching, we got 6 days sick leave per year and could accumulate up to 10 years worth.  (60 days)
But beyond that if you didn't use them you couldn't roll them into the next year. 

We also got 2 "personal business days" per year but those did not accumulate at all.  You did have to specifically request them in advance and they were usually used for attendance at funerals or other very specific events, not for a day at the amusement park or going shopping.

[menley]

The "how many sick days should a person use" is sort of a personal pet peeve. I am a person who gets sick fairly easily (I've had migraines my whole life - diagnosed at 18 months old - and I have a few stomach conditions as well). I've often worked for people who never, ever, EVER get sick, never go to any sort of doctor's appointment (even general check-ups), and show open scorn and disdain for those who do. I can't tell you how often I was questioned on the necessity of a medical appointment (yeah, I know I could go to HR over that, but it wasn't worth it at the time) or told that I should come in and "work through it". At that job, I technically had 10 days of paid sick time, but I was not allowed to take it between October and March (our busiest times) - so when I fell incredibly ill in February, too bad. I had to come in anyway.

So, Dazi, I'm not sure what your point was in asking the question - whether you're on the sick-person side of things or the not-sick-person side of things, but my answer is "as much as the employer allows". If you get 10 days, you should be able to take 10 days without questioning from coworkers, supervisors, or anyone else.

[Dazi]

The "how many sick days should a person use" is sort of a personal pet peeve. I am a person who gets sick fairly easily (I've had migraines my whole life - diagnosed at 18 months old - and I have a few stomach conditions as well). I've often worked for people who never, ever, EVER get sick, never go to any sort of doctor's appointment (even general check-ups), and show open scorn and disdain for those who do. I can't tell you how often I was questioned on the necessity of a medical appointment (yeah, I know I could go to HR over that, but it wasn't worth it at the time) or told that I should come in and "work through it". At that job, I technically had 10 days of paid sick time, but I was not allowed to take it between October and March (our busiest times) - so when I fell incredibly ill in February, too bad. I had to come in anyway.

So, Dazi, I'm not sure what your point was in asking the question - whether you're on the sick-person side of things or the not-sick-person side of things, but my answer is "as much as the employer allows". If you get 10 days, you should be able to take 10 days without questioning from coworkers, supervisors, or anyone else.

We were asked on our work reviews to evaluate our own attendance. It was one of those "Your attendance in the past year was _____."  with the scale going from unsatisfactory to excellent. I just wanted others opinions on the matter.