I recently asked readers for their stories about precision. Now I want to hear about your rituals designed to minimize wasted effort. Plus still more stick figures in peril!
I thought I was the only one who did the double-digit microwave trick! I'm pretty sure I saw it on a TV chef (Justin Wilson?) years ago. As an aside, I get mildly annoyed when someone at work leaves like 3 seconds on the microwave and can't be bothered to clear it. Also, would 3 more seconds ruin your Lean Cuisine?
That last sign makes it look like you're in danger from people falling from trees!
When I was a 9 year old on a trip to Paris with my mom, she wouldn't let me walk under the Eiffel Tower because I might be hit by someone jumping off. (She just didn't want me to walk that far away.)
I’ll chip in with a word of caution about James’ efficiency with his door key. Just be careful about how fast you are moving! I got pretty good at opening the front door without slowing down when I was in high school, so I started moving faster and faster as I approached the door with the goal of getting in the house as fast as possible. One day my hand slipped off the doorknob when I was running at a sprint, shattering the doorframe. My dad was not happy with me that day.
I had to laugh a little as I got in my car to drive home from school. As mentioned about my apartment key, I did this getting in and starting my car. As I was getting in my car, I pulled the key from my pocket, flipped out the engine key and inserted as I sat and put my foot on the break to start the car. I wish I could be this efficient not just with my keys, but with other things too,
Years ago (20+?) there was an article about a guy who was trying to maximize efficiency in his life. Including things like leaving the house with shoes untied, waiting to tie them at a stoplight. But, IIRC, no mention as to why he didn’t just buy slip-ons.
Search is turning up nothing for me now, unfortunately. I seem to remember it being an MIT student and/or an article in MIT’s Technology Review.
Setting aside my horror at the thought of microwaving water for tea, I just wanted to add that, many years ago, a Tim in my life also inspired me to use the single-digit-multi-tap efficiency method for microwaves, and that’s the only way I’ve used them ever since.
(message pending on whether it’s perhaps the same Tim 🤞)
Well about microwaves, I will punch in 90 seconds instead of 1:30 because I like feeling as if I found a harmless glitch in the matrix. Not really for efficiency, unless you like that I’m pushing two buttons instead of 3!
I started doing things like 44 seconds on my microwave because it annoyingly does not have a Add 30 seconds/1 minute button. What year is it from, flipper-I-bought-the-house from?
I walked past that I-95 and I-295 sign daily as part of my commute to my most recent previous job. It has some notoriety in road geek circles. Now, if it had only been button copy...
DDOT (District Department of Transportation) has been inconsistent on signage historically. There was an I-95 north sign on I-395 north by the tennis bubble well into the 1990s. There were a few stray I-95 signs that were never updated to I-395 around Capitol Hill as late as 1999. They ones that were just had decals placed over them. The Shirley Highway-SW/SW freeways were switched to I-395 in 1977.
DDOT has requested renumbering the "3rd Street Tunnel" portion of I-395 to I-195. The existing I-695 (SE Freeway) will be renumbered to I-395 and continue across the 11th Street Bridge to I-295/DC 295. I-695 has been on the books since the 1960s, but was only posted in 2011. It's going to be cancelled, like so many other 695s (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston). That was announced over 4.5 years ago, but hasn't happened yet.
The interstate sign looks like it's in the more modern sign font, Clearview, instead of the old Highway Gothic. It's hard to tell because, oddly enough, the only letterform the two signs have in common is a lowercase 'n'.
Funny thing… I was reading this on my tablet while sitting on the toilet taking a leak, brushing my teeth.
Is that efficient or really weird?
Regarding entering "1:11" on the microwave: My previous microwave allowed me to enter "90" instead of 1:30.
So, in the spirit of efficiency, one could enter 88 seconds.
I thought I was the only one who did the double-digit microwave trick! I'm pretty sure I saw it on a TV chef (Justin Wilson?) years ago. As an aside, I get mildly annoyed when someone at work leaves like 3 seconds on the microwave and can't be bothered to clear it. Also, would 3 more seconds ruin your Lean Cuisine?
They don’t want to hear the beeps… but they should clear it.
Maybe it is a gift of time meant just for you!
If someone would put 44 mins in, you could keep sharing the timer for weeks!
That last sign makes it look like you're in danger from people falling from trees!
When I was a 9 year old on a trip to Paris with my mom, she wouldn't let me walk under the Eiffel Tower because I might be hit by someone jumping off. (She just didn't want me to walk that far away.)
This is my story any time I'm deciding between multiple options to maximize efficiency:
https://xkcd.com/1445/
I’ll chip in with a word of caution about James’ efficiency with his door key. Just be careful about how fast you are moving! I got pretty good at opening the front door without slowing down when I was in high school, so I started moving faster and faster as I approached the door with the goal of getting in the house as fast as possible. One day my hand slipped off the doorknob when I was running at a sprint, shattering the doorframe. My dad was not happy with me that day.
I had to laugh a little as I got in my car to drive home from school. As mentioned about my apartment key, I did this getting in and starting my car. As I was getting in my car, I pulled the key from my pocket, flipped out the engine key and inserted as I sat and put my foot on the break to start the car. I wish I could be this efficient not just with my keys, but with other things too,
Years ago (20+?) there was an article about a guy who was trying to maximize efficiency in his life. Including things like leaving the house with shoes untied, waiting to tie them at a stoplight. But, IIRC, no mention as to why he didn’t just buy slip-ons.
Search is turning up nothing for me now, unfortunately. I seem to remember it being an MIT student and/or an article in MIT’s Technology Review.
I do the microwave thing, too. Irritates my wife to no end.
Hi, Jason. I saw Jerry D. at an indie music festival over the weekend, and your name came up! Hope all's well with you.
Setting aside my horror at the thought of microwaving water for tea, I just wanted to add that, many years ago, a Tim in my life also inspired me to use the single-digit-multi-tap efficiency method for microwaves, and that’s the only way I’ve used them ever since.
(message pending on whether it’s perhaps the same Tim 🤞)
Alas, no. Different Tim. Dang.
Well about microwaves, I will punch in 90 seconds instead of 1:30 because I like feeling as if I found a harmless glitch in the matrix. Not really for efficiency, unless you like that I’m pushing two buttons instead of 3!
I started doing things like 44 seconds on my microwave because it annoyingly does not have a Add 30 seconds/1 minute button. What year is it from, flipper-I-bought-the-house from?
I walked past that I-95 and I-295 sign daily as part of my commute to my most recent previous job. It has some notoriety in road geek circles. Now, if it had only been button copy...
DDOT (District Department of Transportation) has been inconsistent on signage historically. There was an I-95 north sign on I-395 north by the tennis bubble well into the 1990s. There were a few stray I-95 signs that were never updated to I-395 around Capitol Hill as late as 1999. They ones that were just had decals placed over them. The Shirley Highway-SW/SW freeways were switched to I-395 in 1977.
DDOT has requested renumbering the "3rd Street Tunnel" portion of I-395 to I-195. The existing I-695 (SE Freeway) will be renumbered to I-395 and continue across the 11th Street Bridge to I-295/DC 295. I-695 has been on the books since the 1960s, but was only posted in 2011. It's going to be cancelled, like so many other 695s (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston). That was announced over 4.5 years ago, but hasn't happened yet.
If you really want to go down the rabbit hole...
https://www.yurasko.net/wfy/2018/08/the-original-i-695-briefly-returns-to-d-c.html
https://www.yurasko.net/wfy/2021/01/no-more-dc-i-695-interstate-renumbering-approved.html
The interstate sign looks like it's in the more modern sign font, Clearview, instead of the old Highway Gothic. It's hard to tell because, oddly enough, the only letterform the two signs have in common is a lowercase 'n'.
Also r, but it’s so similar I can’t tell