# Your current first-world problems
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [October 5, 2021, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904 "2021-10-05T02:44:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2021, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/81 "2021-10-23T15:43:09Z")
Dish Network seems to be having a dispute with the channel that shows Jeopardy! (AKA my favorite show that I watched every day), so now we don’t get it anymore.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2021, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/82 "2021-10-23T15:44:01Z")
> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> A genuine first-world problem: A friend upgraded his home theater to 4K and gave me his high-end Sony 1080p 3D projector and 10-foot wide screen. But now I have to climb on ladders and poke around the ceiling with a stud finder to locate mounting positions for the screen and the projector ceiling mount, route cables all over the place, and install optical and HDMI switches. It’ll be well worth it, but man, it’s serious work for a retired old fart whose main specialty is sloth. Friends have suggested just hiring someone to do it all, but home theater installers are asking exorbitant sums based on fixed-price schemes, and I’m not made of money, so fuck that.
Are you sure it’s worth it for an HD image on a 10-foot screen? [Unless your seats are more than 20 feet from the screen](https://www.rgb.com/sites/default/files/articles/viewingdistanceresolutioncomparison.jpg), you’ll benefit from a 4K projector.
> [@Lancia](#):
>
> So, I have a choice of either buying a new television stand, which I don’t want to do because I really like the one we have, living with the TV blocking the bottom of the tapestry which I also don’t like, or buying a new, much smaller TV which is an option my wife and children have already vetoed.
Three words: [motorized TV cabinet](https://www.google.com/search?q=motorized+tv+cabinet&client=tablet-android-samsung-nf-rev1&sxsrf=AOaemvLNkB9ff3WWSswj8tNteLpQUri7Ow%3A1635003218587&ei=Uit0YcWhI8aV_QbpyZaYBg&oq=motorized+tv+cabinet&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBQgAEIAEMgoIABCABBCHAhAUMgUIABCABDIKCAAQgAQQhwIQFDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjoECAAQRzoECCMQJzoECAAQQzoFCAAQkQJQ-CtYg0tgwVNoAHABeACAAaEBiAHQCZIBAzguNJgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp). You can buy one pre-made for a couple thousand bucks, or if you’re handy, you can buy a [bare lift](https://www.google.com/search?q=motorized+tv+lift&client=tablet-android-samsung-nf-rev1&sxsrf=AOaemvK2EMGd4qHNGnT5vb2W7cEztkG7Ow%3A1635003231183&ei=Xyt0YZbDCuGN_Qa20b_YDg&oq=motorized+tv+lift&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBAgjECcyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCC4QgAQyBQguEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEOgQIABBHOgoIABCABBCHAhAUOgYIABAWEB46BAgAEEM6BQgAEJECOgUILhCRAlDvwgpYjdwKYKTmCmgBcAF4AIABcYgBkwiSAQM5LjOYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp) and build a cabinet for it, or if you’re handy and cheap you can [build the whole thing from scratch](https://www.google.com/search?q=motorized+tv+cabinet+diy&client=tablet-android-samsung-nf-rev1&sxsrf=AOaemvJg9w-bCzEuCpazRnEHM7X8GaqALQ%3A1635003410252&ei=Eix0YZbKDtC-ggf8srbIBg&oq=motorized+tv+cabinet&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAEYAzIECCMQJzIKCAAQgAQQhwIQFDIFCAAQgAQyCggAEIAEEIcCEBQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB46BAgAEEc6BQguEIAEOgQIABBDOgQILhBDOgUIABCRAlDJsQZYks0GYLHbBmgAcAF4AIABZogB5waSAQQxMC4xmAEAoAEByAEIwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp), or if you’re cheap and not handy and don’t care too much about appearances, just buy a bare lift and mount it to the wall or floor.
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### Author:  [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/83 "2021-10-23T16:00:40Z")
> [@commasense](#):
>
> Are you sure it’s worth it for an HD image on a 10-foot screen? [Unless your seats are more than 20 feet from the screen](https://www.rgb.com/sites/default/files/articles/viewingdistanceresolutioncomparison.jpg), you’ll benefit from a 4K projector.
Yes! I mean, standard theatrical digital projectors in full-size movie theaters used to have 2K resolution (possibly many still do) which is basically 1440p, or only marginally better than 1080p.
Anyway, this is a high quality unit that originally sold for nearly $4000. The cheapest Sony 4K equivalent is around $7000. Not in my budget. The free 1080p projector is in my budget! 😉 Besides, I currently have no source material in 4K, and a vast movie collection in 1080p.
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### Author:  [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/84 "2021-10-23T17:50:24Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#):
>
> Dish Network seems to be having a dispute with the channel that shows Jeopardy! (AKA my favorite show that I watched every day), so now we don’t get it anymore.
In my area Dish is having a quarrel with the local NBC affiliate. They were fighting with the local ABC affiliate last year.
Also, my electric tooth brush is dying.
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### Author:  [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/85 "2021-10-23T18:10:28Z")
Closest grocery store stopped carrying the relatively cheap little jars of caviar. Now they only stock “Cavi-art” which is a vegan seaweed concoction.
Looked at reviews, most ppl said it was good. (Many of them were, “I’ve been vegan for years and this is awesome!” so skepticism should have been warranted.) Got a jar anyway, just to try it.
It’s … okay-ish, I guess. Not offensive, but … it’s just not the _same,_ maaaaan.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2021, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/86 "2021-10-23T22:05:48Z")
Free is good 😁, but how far are your seats from the screen? If they’re too close, you might see pixels. You might actually want to reduce the image size to avoid that.
I think that most theaters these days have 4K projectors, particularly for their largest screens. But even in the 2K houses, most seats are far enough away that most viewers won’t see the pixels. This was a factor in how the 2K standard was established.
Oh, and [cinema 2K](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2K_resolution#:~:text=In%20the%20movie%20projection%20industry,normally%20referred%20to%20as%201080p.) is 2048x1080, slightly different from HD, 1920x1080. [1440](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1440p) is a computer monitor resolution.
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### Author:  [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2021, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/87 "2021-10-23T22:23:15Z")
My first-world problem is that the local store that had a reliable supply of Sodastream CO2 cylinders now only carries the newer pink ones, which are incompatible with the classic blue ones I need. My wife drinks lots of seltzer, so I’m trying to figure out the best alternative:
1. Buy a new Sodastream that takes these cylinders.
2. Keep the existing Sodastream and adapt it to use paintball cylinders.
3. Keep the existing Sodastream and adapt it to use a larger CO2 tank
4. Keep the existing Sodastream and set up a rig to refill the cylinders from a big CO2 tank.
5. Buy a Spärkel system, which uses citric acid and baking soda to make CO2.
There are pros and cons to each, and it’s been a pain to try to balance out the expense vs. convenience aspects of all the different permutations.
Any advice?
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### Author:  [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2021, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/88 "2021-10-23T22:34:28Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> You win. That sounds incredibly annoying, and absolutely first world.
Oh, big deal. My cleaning lady came while I was taking a nap.
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### Author:  [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/89 "2021-10-24T08:31:57Z")
> [@commasense](#):
>
> Any advice?
Start a separate thread. Dopers who might have useful input aren’t likely to also wander by here.
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### Author:  [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/90 "2021-10-24T09:12:01Z")
Oh, yeah, the reason I wandered by again: one of my cats keeps walking across my Roomba and turning it on.
Not enough for it to start a cleaning cycle (that could actually be useful, and what cat wants to be _that_?) but just enough for it to start beeping and flashing green LED lights, which is disruptive in the middle of the night.
{ _dramatic pose of utter woe_ }
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/91 "2021-10-24T12:08:20Z")
> [@commasense](#):
>
> Keep the existing Sodastream and adapt it to use paintball cylinders.
That’s what I did and I’m very happy. I stop at a gas/welding place every so often to get my tanks refilled. Each one lasts 4x longer than a Sodastream canister and my cost to refill is $4.50 a piece.
Everything you need is available on Amazon.
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### Author:  [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/92 "2021-10-24T13:18:47Z")
Dryer died last night (Saturday). Had to use the drying room (basement of a shared dwelling) to dry the clothes.
Won’t be able to get service until Monday, or maybe even later in the week.
The dryer is only 5 months old. We replaced the old one only because we wanted to replace it with the washer which had to be replaced.
Ungrateful appliance.
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### Author:  [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/93 "2021-10-24T14:38:00Z")
I have a pitcher-style measuring cup and a set of individual measuring cups.
I noticed recently that a cup of water out of the pitcher-style one is significantly more than a cup of water out of the little individual ones. Like… what is the truth?
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/94 "2021-10-24T14:52:57Z")
I once took all my volume measuring devices, from the spoons through the big quart pitcher, and compared them to each other. They were all in close agreement except the tablespoon in one set of measuring spoons was off. So i threw away that “tablespoon”.
I have two brands of “pitcher style” and a set of copper “little individual ones”.
Buy another. Two out of three wins.
(I also checked all my cooking thermometers against boiling water one day. The cheap “instant read” thermometers were all way off, and also take longer to equilibrate than the old liquid-based ones. I recommend against trusting bimetallic cooking thermometers. Get liquid-in-glass, or upgrade to electronic if you want to know what temp your food has reached.)
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/95 "2021-10-24T15:46:39Z")
I cook often, but only rarely bake, so any small volumes are eyeballed. I’ve tested myself, grinding what I’d call 1/4 tsp of pepper onto a paper plate and finding myself close enough. Depending on what I’m marking, I might not bother measuring cups or fractions there of of liquids. Freedom in the kitchen!
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### Author:  [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/96 "2021-10-24T15:49:48Z")
The check engine light turned on yesterday when I started my Chevy pickup. It also went into limp mode so I can’t drive it to my shop. At least it waited till I got home from a week long camping trip last week. Having to deal with a truck not running right and a travel trailer would have been a real pain in the ass.
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### Author:  [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/97 "2021-10-24T17:05:07Z")
I’m fairly certain, in all seriousness, that the set of cups is the accurate measurement. It looks correct, like all the other cups I’ve used in my life, while the pitcher, which holds about a quart, is harder to eyeball. And the pitcher is sort of decorative- it’s got like a floral print or something on the outside. Like a pitcher with bonus measuring capabilities rather than something meant to be a dedicated measuring cup. And I mostly use it for things where precise measurements aren’t really needed, like adding water to soups. Still, though… it annoys me that my kitchen tools are LYING. What next? Betrayed by my spatula? The toaster turns to white-collar crime? The police show up with a warrant to arrest my muffin tin? It’s a slippery slope, people.
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### Author:  [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/98 "2021-10-24T19:24:02Z")
It is indeed. My Pyrex measuring cups are ghosting me. The printing that shows measurements are washing off leaving me with clear glass cups that reveal all but say nothing.
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### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2021, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/99 "2021-10-24T20:56:47Z")
> [@commasense](#):
>
> Any advice?
I refill mine with dry ice now. I watched some YouTube videos to see how. Works great, although it’s a bit of work every 6 months or so. Kind of fun, too. (I also got one of the cylinders and adapters that kayaker recommended, but I haven’t used it yet.)
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### Author:  [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-current-first-world-problems/951904/100 "2021-10-25T15:54:38Z")
This happens to me on occasion. I start watching a movie on Netflix and not long into it, I start to notice things that seem familiar like I’ve already watched it. Then there will be parts that make me think that I haven’t watched it. It drives me crazy for the first 15-20 minutes. This happened yesterday so I googled - “is there a list of the movies I’ve watched on Netflix?” There sure enough is! But after scrolling through the first 6 pages and I was still in 2021 ( the movie was made in 2017), I gave up and turned the movie off.
I wish there would be some sort of demarcation next to a movie title, showing that you’ve already watched it.
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