The Official "Help me!" Thread

Searching for debating techniques seems to come up with a fair bit of stuff. Might have to sift through it to find the useful ones however.

In general, I find factual styles work better in writing - stating things matter-of-factly and evaluating them in a logical manner.

Rhetorical questions and other "flairy" things work well in moderation in speech because you can control your tone and how the message comes across.

That might just be my stance on things though, because when I read something, I usually have a question. I don't need another one.

Anyone here familiar with the text editor vim and a plugin called dbext that allows vim to serve kind of as an SQL client for a number of databases? In particular I need to connect to a postgresql database locally installed on my computer. I keep getting an error message that reads:

dbext:PostgreSQL requires a '$HOME/.pgpass' file i order to authenticate. This file is missing. The binary 'psql' does not accept commandline passwords.

I've tried irc channels for both vim and postgres but can't get any help on this. Thought I'd take a shot here before registering on some other forums and asking there.

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Originally Posted by enkoujin

Does anyone have any good websites to teach you how to argue effectively?

I've noticed that there's been a huge decline in my arguing and writing skills (maybe it's due to a changing personality or the fact that I'm getting dumber, I don't know), but when I was in my mid-teens, I was able to take down most adults in arguments and thought I was top shit when I aced my Social Studies written diploma in high school.

However, at this day and age, I find myself making lackluster arguments, hypocritical statements, poor examples and making general theses (i.e., correlation does not imply causation). My first rebuttal/riposte are often stellar quality, but as arguments drag on, I lose steam and I focus on nitpicking their words or examples due to a single technicality before I stop posting anything back. I should probably see my local campus writing resource centre for improving my writing, but I need to start with my basics first.

tl;dr: I suck dicks at arguing and writing now; does anyone have any websites for improving those skills?

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Look more attractive and talk more smoothly than the other guy. If you're putting it in writing, sound more attractive and smooth than the other guy. If the last 100 years of presidential debates have taught us one thing, it's that having the facts on your side is not helpful, and is often a detriment in the face of rhetoric that cares nothing for the facts.

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Originally Posted by Uchiha Barles

Anyone here familiar with the text editor vim and a plugin called dbext that allows vim to serve kind of as an SQL client for a number of databases? In particular I need to connect to a postgresql database locally installed on my computer. I keep getting an error message that reads:

dbext:PostgreSQL requires a '$HOME/.pgpass' file i order to authenticate. This file is missing. The binary 'psql' does not accept commandline passwords.

I've tried irc channels for both vim and postgres but can't get any help on this. Thought I'd take a shot here before registering on some other forums and asking there.

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it looks like you need to create a file that contains password for your database - i've been only using GUI SIS(Spatial Information System) to connect to postgres(with postgis extension).

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Originally Posted by Xelbair

it looks like you need to create a file that contains password for your database - i've been only using GUI SIS(Spatial Information System) to connect to postgres(with postgis extension).

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Yeah, someone finally went through it with me. That file existed, but it was empty so I had to fill it with the right server/db/pass/user. Not only that, but I then had to override the default location that VIM points to. Apparently, that extension is configured like poop and they forgot that people actually develop in windows (not that that's what I was doing).

I need help with my english presentation, we`re supossed to do a 3-5 minutes oral presentation about "curiosities of the english language" so far i`m planning on explaining that the sentence Bufallo Bufallo Bufallo Bufallo Bufallo Bufallo Bufallo is correct and that the word hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is the fear of long words, does anyone knows any other curious fact i can use?

Sounds like a really nice topic. I've always loved palindromes and semordnilap so you can check those out.

Some worth checking out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constrained_writing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...mple_sentences
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_w...on_the_teacher
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_th..._that_it_it_is

Thanks guys the presentation went great, i used some of those links.

Now i need some math help, i made a deal with my mom, i was supossed to help her with math and do her homework, but i just realilzed her math skills are ATROCIOUS and i need to spend a lot more time teaching, can anyone help me with the homework while i try to figure a way of teaching her some classes and have the information stay INSIDE her brain?

Factorize the following polinomes (sp?)


1. x3 + x2 =
2. 2x4 + 4x2 =
3. x2 – 4 =
4. x4 – 16 =
5. 9 + 6x + x2 =
7. x4 − 10x2 + 9 =
8. x4 − 2x2 − 3 =
9. 2x4 + x3 − 8x2 − x + 6 =
10. 2x3 − 7x2 + 8x – 3 =
11. x3 − x2 – 4 =
12. x3 + 3x2 − 4 x – 12 =
13. 6x3 + 7x2 − 9x + 2 =
14. 9x4 − 4x2 =
15. x5 + 20x3 + 100x =
16. 3x5 − 18x3 + 27x =
17. 2x3 − 50x =
18. 2x5 − 32x =
19. 2x2 + x − 28 =
20. xy − 2x − 3y + 6 =
21. 25x2 − 1=
22. 36x6 − 49 =
23. x2 − 2x + 1 =
24. x2 − 6x + 9 =
25. x2 − 20x + 100 =
26. x2 + 10x +25 =
27. x2 + 14x + 49 =
28. x3 − 4x2 + 4x =
29. 3x7 − 27x =
30. x2 − 11x + 30
31. 3x2 + 10x + 3
32. 2x2 − x − 1

.....


You're joking, right?

I got up to #4

1. x2(x+1)
2. 2x2(x2+2)
3. (x+2)(x-2)
4. (x2+4)(x+2)(x-2)

I wish, i have to teach this to my mother and she can BARELY handle x + 2 = 7 (find x), after ONE day of teaching, but hey, 4 down! :P

I tried to teach my mom how to use a computer, and it took me 3 hours to teach her the difference between a left click and a right click.

I am not joking.

Assuming those numbers beside the "x" are exponentials...

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Originally Posted by UChessmaster

Factorize the following polynomials


1. x3 + x2 = x^2(x+1)
2. 2x4 + 4x2 = (2x^2)(x^2+2)
3. x2 – 4 = (x+2)(x-2)
4. x4 – 16 = (x+4)(x-4)
5. 9 + 6x + x2 = (x+3)^2

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Where's #6?

The following majority are done by synthetic division...

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7. x4 − 10x2 + 9 = (x^2+10)(x^2-1)
8. x4 − 2x2 − 3 = (x^2+1)(x^2-3)
9. 2x4 + x3 − 8x2 − x + 6 = (x+1)(x-1)(x+2)(2x-3)
10. 2x3 − 7x2 + 8x – 3 = (x-1)^2(2x-3)
11. x3 − x2 – 4 = (x-2)(x^2+x+2)
12. x3 + 3x2 − 4 x – 12 = (x+2)(x-2)(x+3)

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Now for some of the funny ones...

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13. 6x3 + 7x2 − 9x + 2 = 2(x-0.5)(3x-1)(x+2)
14. 9x4 − 4x2 = (x^2)(9x^2-4)

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I then realized you could just use Wolfram Alpha for the rest and gave up because the numbers get more brutal and I hate synthetic division.

Enkoujin, I'd like to challenge your answer to #4. I believe mine's correct :p [though (x2-4)(x2+4) would suffice as well]

PS: "You're joking right" refers to the fact that your "help" was getting us to do your homework Uchess. xD

You're right; I thought that that was (x^2-16).

My bad. God, I need more sleep.

There`s no number 6 apparently, thanks for the help guys!

I'm updating my resume right now and I've noticed that my interests section is looking a little bit plain at the moment.

Do you any of you think it would be professional if I added in watching anime and reading manga in there?

Hah, I've always wondered about that too, so I can't help you out there. :(

I've always ended up putting down some more "mainstream" interests of mine.

It's a fairly ubiquitous pasttime so it won't garner you any special brownie points with prospective employers (off chance someone in hiring sees it and says "oh, he likes anime and manga too, let's hire him!"). Maybe reword it so it applies more to the job you are applying for, or leave it out altogether and add a hobby that does relate better to the job.

As I thought, Animeniax.

Thanks a lot, you two!