DEAR JOE:

I just spent way too much time looking at properties for sale in the city and I am curious about something... if one were to purchase an empty lot that is "ready-to-build" in the city of Seattle, could one live in a tent on said property and slowly but surely build a house? Assuming the house was built to code and all that boring stuff... I just want to know if I could take my sweet ass time, since I don't know how to build houses yet.

sub-question - am I correct in assuming that the property taxes go up each year based on how much structure (i.e., "improvement") is done to the lot?

If this is your strategy my initial approach would be to build yourself a shed less than 120 sqft, (permit not required) dig yourself a pit toilet and set up some sort of rain catchment system for gray water.

Remember that every permit once opened comes with a timeline to build and inspection is required. So taking your sweet time is only as sweet as your permit allows.

While your neighbors might not like you much, as long as you own the land and pay your property taxes your plan should play.

Strangely, my landlord said almost exactly the same thing. If you build a structure with a toilet on your property, that somehow classifies it as a dwelling, and after that you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want on the property if you're DIY, without needing permits, or something like that.

My landlord said something similar, though he added that after the shed is built, setting up a cat daycare on the rest of the lot is another canonical next move.

Dear Joe,

What is wrong with my stereo? The low end sounds bad and distorted.

The signal runs from the computer to a USB DAC transmitter, through 3 feet of air to the DAC receiver, from there to an amplifier, from there to regular stereo speakers.

For the most part, I keep the volume settings on the computer (both in windows, and the application (chrome/netflix or vlc)) LOW, and turn the amp up (which helps the problem somewhat, but not entirely).

Recently, I took a set of computer speakers (with their own volume setting, something like this) and plugged them into the headphone jack on the amplifier.

If I keep the amplifier volume high, and computer speaker volume low (so, in the end, volume is about the same level as it was with the stereo speakers), the distortion is still present (basically the same). If I turn down the amplifier, and crank up the speakers, the distortion is mostly gone.

What is broken?

Dear Joe,

What is wrong with my stereo? The low end sounds bad and distorted.

The signal runs from the computer to a USB DAC transmitter, through 3 feet of air to the DAC receiver, from there to an amplifier, from there to regular stereo speakers.

For the most part, I keep the volume settings on the computer (both in windows, and the application (chrome/netflix or vlc)) LOW, and turn the amp up (which helps the problem somewhat, but not entirely).

Recently, I took a set of computer speakers (with their own volume setting, something like this) and plugged them into the headphone jack on the amplifier.

If I keep the amplifier volume high, and computer speaker volume low (so, in the end, volume is about the same level as it was with the stereo speakers), the distortion is still present (basically the same). If I turn down the amplifier, and crank up the speakers, the distortion is mostly gone.

What is broken?

Also Dear Joe,

How bad is Hroniss Grasu's knee injury, and will he be back in time for the PAC-12 championship?

Hate to say it, but my money's on his season, and possibly his soccer career, being over.

Thanks! I'll try the isolations you suggest, and get back, but here's the relevant info in the meantime:

the DAC is a NAD DAC 1, the amp is a Luxman A-491, the stereo speakers are Celestions (couldn't find a model number on them).

Currently, everything is still going from the PC through the DAC (no direct line out yet). Yes, the PC speakers are powered, and it makes sense to me that there would be distortion if the signal is too strong as it comes to the speakers (thus why I don't completely trust that the problem isn't the stereo speakers).

Also, I don't think I have a way to do

3)Direct line out from DAC to new speakers

as the DAC RX is coax-out, and the computer speakers are a 3.5mm input jack (I'm using a 3.5 to 1/4" thinger to hook to phone jack on amp).

EDIT: well, I guess I could go buy a thing to do 3), but it's not something I have at home already.

oooh, yeah, that's pointing more towards speakers unfortunately. For a lot of speakers, they fail on the low-end first due to the bass frequencies requiring more displacement from the woofers. Moving parts mean wear and tear, and over time your woofer can become detached from the speaker box by wearing out the springy rim, resulting in distortion.


My bet is that if you bumped some really loud dubstep for, oh, 10-15 minutes, you'd pretty much finish the wear out process on those speakers.

I don't recall ever doing that, but who knows. So what are my options here? Fix or replace?

Honestly, head over to Mouser or Parts Express and buy some replacement drivers of the same size. Probably $50 for a pair, and about half an hour of time.

Now, if your speakers were less than $50 for the pair roll over to CL and buy a net set. Be sure to get Technics of Wharfdale or some other shitty 80s brand.

Have you ever wondered if the sewer outside your home is combined or separated? Check out this map!

http://www.seattle.gov/util/groups/public/@spu/@usm/documents/webcontent/02_008214.pdf

Save it for Facebook bro, this is the Ask Joe thread.

yeah, pretty sure they were more than $50. If I can't find a Mouse Parts Express in town, is there an internet store you recommend?

Thanks again for all the help, A====, love asking questions here.

Dear Joe,
What are combined and separated sewers and is there a difference in the flora and fauna that can live in each?

Dear Joe,

How can I modify people's behavior such that they stop using the Oxford comma? My clout as a wiki editor only goes so far.

Can anyone come up with a sentence that makes less sense because of the Oxford?

use the fucking oxford comma.

Save it for Facebook bro, this is the Ask Joe thread.

Dear Joe,

What, exactly, is BroTorff's deal?

He really seems to love taking on the role of enforcer. Do you think he would be a good fit for the SPD? I hear they are looking to recruit more candidates that actually live in Seattle. Would it be a good thing or a bad thing if one of our members was cop? Now that Matthew is gone we might benefit from a new law-abidin' type to act as a spokesman/front when things get messy.

Also, the only thing better than an oxford comma is a semicolon.

Dear Joe,

What, exactly, is BroTorff's deal?

He really seems to love taking on the role of enforcer. Do you think he would be a good fit for the SPD? I hear they are looking to recruit more candidates that actually live in Seattle. Would it be a good thing or a bad thing if one of our members was cop? Now that Matthew is gone we might benefit from a new law-abidin' type to act as a spokesman/front when things get messy.

Also, the only thing better than an oxford comma is a semicolon.