Random randomness

[Daehawk]

Im not seeing any links or pics in your post Kasey.


I did find some 12 page inserts. May end up getting one next month.

[hitbyambulance]

that would be some extension blocking the embedded Amazon links. if you hit the reply button to that post, you will then see them.

[Daehawk]

OIC. He didn't add the URL tags to his links. In the old days it was ok like that. I remember that for some reason.

[Daehawk]

Finding a simple cheap yet well made oil can is almost impossible. What happened to this country. Even Amazon sucks for finding a good one. I want a small metal pistol pump solid spout oil can. Used to have both a pistol and thumb type one but they are long gone. Must have been from the 70s...maybe even 50s. Just dont make'm like they used to.

*Shakes old man fist with arthritic arm in the air*

[disarm]

Regarding reusable grocery bags, my wife and I each keep one of these in our car at all times...compact, durable and super convenient...

BagPodz

CT has now officially banned single-use plastic bags, so all my shopping trips are either no more than I can carry, or I take the BagPodz with me.

[Kasey Chang]

Im not seeing any links or pics in your post Kasey.

I think Ad-Block blocks those listings by default.

[Formix]

Regarding reusable grocery bags, my wife and I each keep one of these in our car at all times...compact, durable and super convenient...

BagPodz

CT has now officially banned single-use plastic bags, so all my shopping trips are either no more than I can carry, or I take the BagPodz with me.

I love my bag podz. My wife and I also have one in our car at all times. I gave them as Christmas presents last year.

[Unagi]

Im not seeing any links or pics in your post Kasey.


I did find some 12 page inserts. May end up getting one next month.

You had this same problem with my link to the tumblers.


You’ve done something to alter your browsers ability to show you these links on the fly.

[Brian]

We took the Monza Spyder out to run errands today. The wife put up a (very) short Tik-Tok video when we got home.

I can't wait until we can get the bodywork and paint done on this thing.

I've got a set of fenders in the shop right now getting some holes patched and then put them in primer. Following that, getting the doors done with shaved door handles and prep/primer. Following that up with a 4 point roll bar and side pipes.

The rest of the bodywork and final paint will have to wait until next spring/summer.

[Jaymon]

My wife was just picked to be on a Grand Jury that will meet two days a week for the next two years.

Obviously she can't tell me anything about what they're doing, but I'm surprised that she was chosen in the first place. She's a fairly well-known activist in local education issues and has testified many times at public hearings. She also made sure they knew that she was close friends with one member of the city council and knows several others (as well as our state rep and state senator) personally, just so that there wouldn't be any questions of conflict of interest or whatever.

Presumably the charges considered won't be dealing with local politics.

Holy crap, that is some serious civic responsibility.

[Holman]

My wife was just picked to be on a Grand Jury that will meet two days a week for the next two years.

Obviously she can't tell me anything about what they're doing, but I'm surprised that she was chosen in the first place. She's a fairly well-known activist in local education issues and has testified many times at public hearings. She also made sure they knew that she was close friends with one member of the city council and knows several others (as well as our state rep and state senator) personally, just so that there wouldn't be any questions of conflict of interest or whatever.

Presumably the charges considered won't be dealing with local politics.

Holy crap, that is some serious civic responsibility.

It's pretty serious. She's a university assistant dean, which is definitely a full-time job. They're required by law to accommodate her jury service, but in practice it will almost certainly mean that she'll be working 50+ hour weeks for the next couple of years, and she'll miss any important meetings that happen on a Thursday or Friday.

Two years seems like a lot.

[Blackhawk]

It looks like birds are getting their own pandemic. That article is a couple of weeks old. Since then, birds have been found mysteriously dying in large numbers with crusty eyes, sometimes blindness, inability to fly, and neurological problems. Three or four days ago when I heard about it it was Indiana and Kentucky, with about a dozen counties in Indiana affected. Now it is 40 counties, and has spread to DC, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland.

So, if you have bird feeders or bird baths, take them down. It effectively enforces social distancing on birds and can keep the disease from spreading.

[dbt1949]

Social distancing for birds! Then chipmunks. Then lounge lizards! When will it all end!
I bet Dr Fauci is behind this.

[Sudy]

It will end with the NWO maintaining the avian population under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.

[Holman]

I believe I might be a Supersmeller. Am I?

You've probably heard of Supertasters, people whose tongues are more fully equipped with taste buds and receptors and who thus experience taste in a richer, denser way than the rest of us (sometimes to their unpleasant detriment). I've got years of experience that suggest I have a similar capability with odors rather than tastes.

I'm very good at smelling smoke. Twice in my life I have detected electrical ceiling fires even before people *directly under the burning tile* noticed anything. Once I was in a different room and another time I was a whole floor down. Both times I was the one to raise the alarm.

I've also always been the one to detect a dead mouse/bird/squirrel in the kitchen/porch/attic before anyone else, and usually days before.

I complained about smelling gasoline in our car for several hour-long drives before my wife or kids could notice it. Turned out the fuel pump was spewing small amounts of gas into the cabin frame.

I know this isn't very important, but it feels randomly significant. I wonder if I might have made an excellent perfumier or sommelier.

[Brian]

I have no idea if that's a thing or not but it reminds me of the film, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

[Holman]

I have no idea if that's a thing or not but it reminds me of the film, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Heh. I once assigned that novel to high-school seniors. But I had no idea there was a movie!

[dbt1949]

We had Billy Budd. Don't ever assign that book (or movie) as mandatory.

[Isgrimnur]

Or Ethan Frome.

[hitbyambulance]

Or Ethan Frome.

i re-read this a few years ago. the ending part was actually-completely-totally-not-how-i-remembered-it, which made me really confused, but that disorienting sensation of weird 'why is this a completely different story now?' alternate-reality-time-slip vertigo made the whole effort worthwhile.

[Daehawk]

"Anyone can design a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to design one that barely stands."

[coopasonic]

So I am reading random posts and see mention of the MA vaccine lottery and I'm thinking to myself what I would do with an extra million before taxes... I mean I guess I could retire a few years earlier. Is there no joy left in my life?

[Blackhawk]

Annoyance: It's impossible to figure out the basics of how to cook something. Let's say I want to know how long and at what temperature to cook a particular type of fish. I google it - and have 100,000 recipes using that fish, but none that just give temp and time.

[Unagi]

Annoyance: It's impossible to figure out the basics of how to cook something. Let's say I want to know how long and at what temperature to cook a particular type of fish. I google it - and have 100,000 recipes using that fish, but none that just give temp and time.

https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips ... -times.asp

Not -exactly- what you’re looking for.

[Holman]

I just switched from broiling salmon to pan searing it. I don't know the temps involved either way, but the change in method makes all the difference.

Most recipes are based on the principle of time and method. Very few people are checking temps while they cook. (If you're baking, of course, the recipe should tell you what temp to set.)

If you want to rely on just one cookbook, BTW, go with Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. We open it two or three times a week.

[Pyperkub]

I believe I might be a Supersmeller. Am I?

You've probably heard of Supertasters, people whose tongues are more fully equipped with taste buds and receptors and who thus experience taste in a richer, denser way than the rest of us (sometimes to their unpleasant detriment). I've got years of experience that suggest I have a similar capability with odors rather than tastes.

I'm very good at smelling smoke. Twice in my life I have detected electrical ceiling fires even before people *directly under the burning tile* noticed anything. Once I was in a different room and another time I was a whole floor down. Both times I was the one to raise the alarm.

I've also always been the one to detect a dead mouse/bird/squirrel in the kitchen/porch/attic before anyone else, and usually days before.

I complained about smelling gasoline in our car for several hour-long drives before my wife or kids could notice it. Turned out the fuel pump was spewing small amounts of gas into the cabin frame.

I know this isn't very important, but it feels randomly significant. I wonder if I might have made an excellent perfumier or sommelier.

But can you do this?

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/a7dbc119-8 ... e446ad49a5

[Pyperkub]

I just switched from broiling salmon to pan searing it. I don't know the temps involved either way, but the change in method makes all the difference.

Most recipes are based on the principle of time and method. Very few people are checking temps while they cook. (If you're baking, of course, the recipe should tell you what temp to set.)

If you want to rely on just one cookbook, BTW, go with Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. We open it two or three times a week.

Yeah, that (checking active temps while cooking) is generally reserved for candy-making and souffles, etc.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Annoyance: It's impossible to figure out the basics of how to cook something. Let's say I want to know how long and at what temperature to cook a particular type of fish. I google it - and have 100,000 recipes using that fish, but none that just give temp and time.

Cooking sous vide is tailor-made for precisely what you're after here, e.g. this site provides cooking times and temperatures for most types of food, including a wide variety of fish. Suffice to say, it takes all the guesswork out of cooking, and consistently provides delicious, perfectly-cooked results.

[Daehawk]

We've had rain showers for about 2 hours now or so. Nothing heavy just a steady light shower. I was sitting here looking out the window with my little dog laying on my chest. He will be in my lap and jump up and I catch him in my arms and cross them across my chest and he just lays there and rests. Makes using the pc impossible but he is so cute and sweet I just let him stay there a bit. He is only about 3 lbs.

We still have giant trees that cover the back of the house so I got up and kept him laying in my arms on my chest and went out with him in the shower. Its totally dry under those trees still. We walked about the back like that and listened to the rain and watched the clouds passing for the last 40 minutes. Other than looking around and a couple reply barks at the neighbor's dog he just enjoyed it all with me. Little rascal. It was really magical. Felt close to nature and the world. Peaceful.

[Kraken]

So I am reading random posts and see mention of the MA vaccine lottery and I'm thinking to myself what I would do with an extra million before taxes... I mean I guess I could retire a few years earlier. Is there no joy left in my life?

I'm trying to figure out how to retire/where to live within the next 2-3 years. A million bucks would save me some hard decisions. I could renovate my house in Braintree (where I like living now, and value my proximity to Boston) and stay here in the spring and fall, buy one in the Berkshires (where I'd like to spend summers), and buy a condo somewhere warm for the winters. I wouldn't really want to own three houses, but with a million bucks I could find a way to live where I want to, when I want to.

[LordMortis]

So I am reading random posts and see mention of the MA vaccine lottery and I'm thinking to myself what I would do with an extra million before taxes... I mean I guess I could retire a few years earlier. Is there no joy left in my life?

What is that? About $500,000 after taxes? That's enough to put me over the hump. I'd be let work know they need to make concerted effort to replace me ASAP and hand in company phone with time to find and work with retirement planner on my schedule, no negotiations. Maybe four month countdown if they don't piss me off. I think $250,000 in cash is enough to push me over the hump, at the moment and likely I'd do it in less or at least I'd start the more than the ballparking I am doing now.

[dbt1949]

Went to the VA yesterday for cataract surgery. Procedure took 15-20 minutes. Was there over seven hours.
<sigh>

[Madmarcus]

I'm trying to figure out how to retire/where to live within the next 2-3 years. A million bucks would save me some hard decisions.

I have roughly the same time frame and the same decision. We've saved enough that we're fine if we stay here with our paid off house but I have little desire to stay here. $500,000 in a lump sum (as opposed to a mix of IRAs, Roth IRAs, 403b, and other mutual funds that have simply grown over time) would be a big enough bump to actually clear the psychological hurdle of selling a house for $200,000 and buying another one somewhere else that is going to be a lot more than $200,000 and involve monthly payments again!

I don't know if it would be enough to get over the hurdle of finding a location we want to move to. I thought finding a place to eat was tough!

[Kraken]

I'm trying to figure out how to retire/where to live within the next 2-3 years. A million bucks would save me some hard decisions.

I have roughly the same time frame and the same decision. We've saved enough that we're fine if we stay here with our paid off house but I have little desire to stay here. $500,000 in a lump sum (as opposed to a mix of IRAs, Roth IRAs, 403b, and other mutual funds that have simply grown over time) would be a big enough bump to actually clear the psychological hurdle of selling a house for $200,000 and buying another one somewhere else that is going to be a lot more than $200,000 and involve monthly payments again!

I don't know if it would be enough to get over the hurdle of finding a location we want to move to. I thought finding a place to eat was tough!

I've lived in this house for literally half of my life. I've never been so rooted anywhere, and I like it here. If the house were elder-friendly I'd stay. But transforming it isn't realistic (the lot's too small to expand the ground floor), and we can't afford a bigger/nicer house in our neighborhood, even if we renovate and sell this one. If we were to sell it in its current run-down condition, we'd get maybe $400k. If we put $75-100k into rehabilitation (as planned), it will be worth around $550-600k. Local houses that have what we want start at $850k.

So instead we'll most likely cash out and buy a house of comparable value in the Berkshires, where $600k goes a long way.

But this depends on a pyramid: We inherited half-of-a-house in Lansing that's worth around $75k in its current condition. We're putting $10k into renovations, and the realtor says it will sell for $125k. Even after paying the inevitable taxes and fees and splitting what's left with my BIL, we'll have enough cash to renovate our house, and THEN we'll finally have to commit to a relocation plan.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Went to the VA yesterday for cataract surgery. Procedure took 15-20 minutes. Was there over seven hours.
<sigh>

[Daehawk]

I saw a clip from that stupid movie Sex in the City 2. Lets just say Irish nanny and her lucky charms.

[Daehawk]

Was re watching Kung Fu Hustle. TOE SMASH!...cant breath hahahaha. Man if they ever legalize weed here this movie would kill me.

[Daehawk]

Well...I just saw my cousin on the news..his restaurant was on Food Network's Restaurant Impossible. Neat. Had no idea Irvine was even in town.

[Isgrimnur]

I would disagree. Obviously the gentleman on the right has received excellent care, as he’s obviously advanced in age to proportions of Methuselah, and he’s still upright in a chair.

If you wanted to sell it as a concern, it should be a skeleton in that uniform, not merely a pensioner.

[Anonymous Bosch]

I would disagree. Obviously the gentleman on the right has received excellent care, as he’s obviously advanced in age to proportions of Methuselah, and he’s still upright in a chair.

If you wanted to sell it as a concern, it should be a skeleton in that uniform, not merely a pensioner.

Or perhaps he's just a Highlander immortal with cataracts. Either way, somehow I doubt you're likely to convince dbt that the reason he was kept waiting for seven hours+ was due to V.A. medical center excellence.