Random randomness

[dbt1949]

Actually I did. I'm buying two Tiny Homes.
One for the wet coast and one for the east.

[Skinypupy]

Why not just remove your bank account and any other payment options from your Amazon account?

Because I can’t get access to my Amazon account. The hacker already changed all the passwords and email address and Amazon has to "investigate" before it will actually do anything.

(For that matter, why would you use your regular bank account with ANY online shopping website?)

I use my debit card because a) it’s a lot easier for me to track, and b) I’m far less likely to overspend if it’s coming right out of my bank account Instead of going onto a credit card.

Stupid, I know, but I got in lots of credit card debt when I was younger and had to spend years digging out. Using a debit card eliminates that temptation. Plus, this is the first time anything like this has ever happened in all my years of online shopping.

How the hell did someone get control of your Amazon account? Now I'm all freaked out!

Wish I knew. I’m a bit baffled, tbh.

[gilraen]

Why not just remove your bank account and any other payment options from your Amazon account?

Because I can’t get access to my Amazon account. The hacker already changed all the passwords and email address.

(For that matter, why would you use your regular bank account with ANY online shopping website?)

I use my debit card because a) it’s a lot easier for me to track, and b) I’m far less likely to overspend if it’s coming right out of my bank account Instead of going onto a credit card. Stupid, I know, but I got in lots of credit card debt and had to spend years digging out. Using a debit card eliminates that temptation. Plus, this is the first time anything like this has ever happened in all my years of online shopping.

Ah, okay, sorry, I misread your post, I thought you were able to access it.

You can have a separate checking account for online shopping, that has like 50 bucks or whatever you need for your next purchase. At least that way you are only risking some spending cash, not your entire bank balance.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Screw you, hackers. And screw you even more, Amazon.

Checked my e-mail today to find a notice that my Amazon account has been accessed by someone in China. Go to Amazon, try to login, and sure enough...there's now some random e-mail listed and it says there is no account associated with mine. Hacker dude was able to get in, change the e-mail, change the password, delete my cell number, and change the default language to Chinese. Awesome. As concerning as all that of is, they thankfully hadn't made any purchases yet. Called my bank and put a freeze on the account.

I immediately call Amazon. Go through the process of confirming my identity with them (with one of the questions being "did you make friends with anyone in China in the past 24 hours?" No, dipshit...I didn't), expecting that they would - at the very least - put a freeze on the account.

Nope.

They log a ticket, and it gets escalated to their fraud department for investigation. Investigation can take 24-48 hours before they get back to me to try and resolve the issue. Which means that I have to keep my bank accounts associated with the Amazon account locked in case Chinese hacker dude decides he'd like to start making a bunch of purchases...because Amazon apparently has no way to keep him from doing that.

So I've spent my entire night going through and changing my passwords on everything, and I'll be visiting the bank to get a new card tomorrow. Which will then require me to go back in and switch all my auto-withdrawals. I'm sure there's probably some other stuff I should be doing as well (contact the credit bureaus, I guess?) that I'll have to get to tomorrow.

What a pain in the ass. Hackers are such dicks, and Amazon was remarkably less than helpful.

Take it as a life lesson on the critical importance of using a proper Password Manager to generate unique, strong, truly random passphrases and keep them safe and secure.

KeePass Password Safe is free and open-source, and one of the best-known and most widely trusted password managers around. Or if you don't mind paying for software as a service, go with something like Dashlane or LastPass. But once you start using a Password Manager, you'll soon begin to wonder how anyone manages to function online without one.

[Jaymann]

Actually I did. I'm buying two Tiny Homes.
One for the wet coast and one for the east.

Where is the wet coast? Greenland?

[Anonymous Bosch]

How the hell did someone get control of your Amazon account? Now I'm all freaked out!

Wish I knew. I’m a bit baffled, tbh.

Were you using the same password across multiple accounts? I suspect it's either that, or you may have had a weak password for your email account. In other words, if a hacker can get into your email account it becomes easy to also get into your Amazon account.

Also, if and when access to your Amazon account is restored, turning on two-step verification will make your Amazon account much harder to hack into.

[Skinypupy]

Screw you, hackers. And screw you even more, Amazon.

Checked my e-mail today to find a notice that my Amazon account has been accessed by someone in China. Go to Amazon, try to login, and sure enough...there's now some random e-mail listed and it says there is no account associated with mine. Hacker dude was able to get in, change the e-mail, change the password, delete my cell number, and change the default language to Chinese. Awesome. As concerning as all that of is, they thankfully hadn't made any purchases yet. Called my bank and put a freeze on the account.

I immediately call Amazon. Go through the process of confirming my identity with them (with one of the questions being "did you make friends with anyone in China in the past 24 hours?" No, dipshit...I didn't), expecting that they would - at the very least - put a freeze on the account.

Nope.

They log a ticket, and it gets escalated to their fraud department for investigation. Investigation can take 24-48 hours before they get back to me to try and resolve the issue. Which means that I have to keep my bank accounts associated with the Amazon account locked in case Chinese hacker dude decides he'd like to start making a bunch of purchases...because Amazon apparently has no way to keep him from doing that.

So I've spent my entire night going through and changing my passwords on everything, and I'll be visiting the bank to get a new card tomorrow. Which will then require me to go back in and switch all my auto-withdrawals. I'm sure there's probably some other stuff I should be doing as well (contact the credit bureaus, I guess?) that I'll have to get to tomorrow.

What a pain in the ass. Hackers are such dicks, and Amazon was remarkably less than helpful.

Take it as a life lesson on the critical importance of using a proper Password Manager to generate unique, strong, truly random passphrases and keep them safe and secure.

KeePass Password Safe is free and open-source, and one of the best-known and most widely trusted password managers around. Or if you don't mind paying for software as a service, go with something like Dashlane or LastPass. But once you start using a Password Manager, you'll soon begin to wonder how anyone manages to function online without one.

Thanks for this. I’m horrible with passwords, and have never gotten around to using any sort of for password generator or manager. I got in the bad habit of using the same one for multiple things, which I’m sure is how they got access.

I’ll start looking into this tomorrow.

[gbasden]

A second recommendation for two factor auth. It's not foolproof, but it is really helpful against brute force.

[Daehawk]

Im not complaining here as I really need the help with food each month and I appreciate it all but more a post of finding it strange. I got to pick up 2 bags of food today from the help place. One was filled with canned goods and the other some perishable stuff. I can eat and will eat most of it and what I dont I return for others. But 2 bags and Im not getting to return until January next year. So I got 2 bags for 3 months. If I ate only 1 can or item a day Id still not have enough for 1 month.

Like I said I need and appreciate it but wow. I had to spend about $60 to get me to tomorrow when my SNAP benefits come in and that plus those will get me to nearer the end of the month. Maybe I can supplement this for the last week and half of the month so next month I dont have to spend so much cash for food and replacement stuff. A lot of that $60 was needs like toilet paper and OTC medicines and non OTC ones.

[stessier]

The need is great and the giving has been less this year (at least in my area, which is in the same general region). Remember they are trying to help as many people as possible. I hope you are able to figure out a solution.

[Daehawk]

Did Hepcat have something to do with this?

Target and most other stores sell out of Golden Girl costumes before Halloween

Really really popular. Not sure how many Hepcat purchased though.

[Daehawk]

I finally saw the space station pass overhead! I was ready this time and also had binocs..not needed btw. Like a bright star really moving fast across the sky. Neat.

Looking online it says it is moving at 4.6 miles per second.

[dbt1949]

How do you know it wasn't a UFO?

[hepcat]

Did Hepcat have something to do with this?

Target and most other stores sell out of Golden Girl costumes before Halloween

Really really popular. Not sure how many Hepcat purchased though.

Enough to make one, 300 foot tall Bea Arthur costume.

[Kasey Chang]

I "sort of" want to learn to play an instrument, preferably something that takes minimum amount of room, can be done solo and quietly, and not a toy (i.e. Not Guitar Hero). I can karaoke okay, but the only instrument I touched was a violin about 35-40 years ago. Don't remember a thing.

My choices seem to be either 1) a simple piano / keyboard (a cheap one can be had for under $100, or includes tutorial for under $200), or 2) something like Jamstick, which is basically an electric guitar without the chamber or the amp, and is a MIDI controller, for under $200.

As this is purely a hobby, I guess either would work. But which one is easier to pick up for someone who can carry a tune, but doesn't really read music (yet)?

[Daehawk]

A recorder.

[Isgrimnur]

Tin whistle

[Smoove_B]

A recorder.

What is he, 10? For a gamer, there's no choice really - learn to play the Ocarina.

[stessier]

Spoons.

[Skinypupy]

Screw you, hackers. And screw you even more, Amazon.

Checked my e-mail today to find a notice that my Amazon account has been accessed by someone in China. Go to Amazon, try to login, and sure enough...there's now some random e-mail listed and it says there is no account associated with mine. Hacker dude was able to get in, change the e-mail, change the password, delete my cell number, and change the default language to Chinese. Awesome. As concerning as all that of is, they thankfully hadn't made any purchases yet. Called my bank and put a freeze on the account.

I immediately call Amazon. Go through the process of confirming my identity with them (with one of the questions being "did you make friends with anyone in China in the past 24 hours?" No, dipshit...I didn't), expecting that they would - at the very least - put a freeze on the account.

Nope.

They log a ticket, and it gets escalated to their fraud department for investigation. Investigation can take 24-48 hours before they get back to me to try and resolve the issue. Which means that I have to keep my bank accounts associated with the Amazon account locked in case Chinese hacker dude decides he'd like to start making a bunch of purchases...because Amazon apparently has no way to keep him from doing that.

So I've spent my entire night going through and changing my passwords on everything, and I'll be visiting the bank to get a new card tomorrow. Which will then require me to go back in and switch all my auto-withdrawals. I'm sure there's probably some other stuff I should be doing as well (contact the credit bureaus, I guess?) that I'll have to get to tomorrow.

What a pain in the ass. Hackers are such dicks, and Amazon was remarkably less than helpful.

Called Amazon again last night, after not seeing any communication from them yesterday. Turns out, the guy I talked to originally was completely full of shit. They absolutely can put a block on the account, preventing any further changes and blocking all purchases.

Still don't have my access back yet (hopefully today), but at least I can unfreeze my bank accounts.

[coopasonic]

As this is purely a hobby, I guess either would work. But which one is easier to pick up for someone who can carry a tune, but doesn't really read music (yet)?

The one you are more enthusiastic about will be easier to pick up. I would guess piano is the easier of the two, but I've only ever messed around with guitars. Basic notes may be comparable, but I feel there is so much more to a guitar when you start getting deeper into it. Also, Rocksmith is pretty awesome.

[Kasey Chang]

Yeah, I have my Amazon account on 2FA through an authenticator app. Nobody's hacking that one. I also bought myself a Yubikey a little while back to secure LastPass itself.

[Exodor]

My choices seem to be either 1) a simple piano / keyboard (a cheap one can be had for under $100, or includes tutorial for under $200), or 2) something like Jamstick, which is basically an electric guitar without the chamber or the amp, and is a MIDI controller, for under $200.

As this is purely a hobby, I guess either would work. But which one is easier to pick up for someone who can carry a tune, but doesn't really read music (yet)?

An electric guitar and a copy of Rocksmith

Rocksmith has a lot of exercises and guides that don't require the ability \to read music. You'll also want to watch something like JustinGuitar to get the basics.

[Skinypupy]

An electric guitar and a copy of Rocksmith

Rocksmith has a lot of exercises and guides that don't require the ability \to read music. You'll also want to watch something like JustinGuitar to get the basics.

I tried Rocksmith, but didn't care for it much. I found that it does a good job of teaching you the muscle memory to play specific songs, but doesn't really teach you anything about actually playing music (i.e. chords, notes, etc.). That may be exactly what some folks are looking for, but wasn't my cup o' tea.

Full disclaimer: I didn't get very far into it, so it's entirely possible that there is actual music instruction built in that I just completely mised.

[Blackhawk]

With the conditions of 'solo and quietly', I'd consider an acoustic guitar. If you find you enjoy it and stick with it, you can add an electric to your collection later on without too much of a skill gap.

[hepcat]

Question for any foodies out there: a coworker smoked 40 pounds of brisket last weekend and cut off about a 3 pound point for me and brought it to me on Wednesday out of the kindness of his heart. The bag is labeled 10/6/19. I've had it in the fridge since he gave it to me. It smells fine, and looks even better. However, the overly cautious (from what others tell me) Food and Drug Administration web sites all list 3 to 4 days for cooked/smoked meats in the fridge.

Am I okay if I go hog wild on this bad boy tonight (and maybe sharing some tomorrow with a friend or two)? So that would be 5 to 6 days after it came out of the smoker?

[stessier]

Do you want the Smoove answer or the normal person answer?

[hepcat]

I just don't wanna get sick...however, this brisket smells and looks amazing and I'd hate to toss it out if it's fine. At least not until I've had a chance to smother it in BBQ sauce and demolish a large portion of it.

[Smoove_B]

Too many variables. The mantra is always: When in doubt, throw it out.

Generally speaking, whole cuts of meat are going to be safer than ground. What would have me nervous isn't so much what happened after you received it. Instead, I'd be wondering about how it was handled after being smoked and then how it was held prior to you receiving it. Was it sitting on the front seat of his car on the drive over? Was it in a cooler with some ice packs?

Overall, I'd say the risk is low and if anything, spoilage bacteria have started to go to work lowering quality. To be clear, you cannot smell or taste safety (I should probably copyright that and make a t-shirt). Broadly, when food smells or tastes bad it still might actually be safe to eat. Pathogens aren't going to cause spoilage so the food will generally look (and smell fine).

It's a tough call. In a perfect world you put it in the freezer when it was handed over. I wish I could be more helpful or give you a solid answer but short of coming to your house and swabbing the meat (Heeyyyyooooo), it's just a best guess.

I would personally probably eat it. I am not sure if I would serve it to others.

Do you want the Smoove answer or the normal person answer?

I'm mostly normal.

[hepcat]

Generally speaking, whole cuts of meat are going to be safer than ground. What would have me nervous isn't so much what happened after you received it. Instead, I'd be wondering about how it was handled after being smoked and then how it was held prior to you receiving it. Was it sitting on the front seat of his car on the drive over? Was it in a cooler with some ice packs?

Had it in a fabric bag with a drawstring and an ice pack in it for the 3 hour drive from his place to the office (he was visiting the office for meetings, he usually works remotely).

[Z-Corn]

I would just make sure to eat it all this weekend.

Worse comes to worse, you've already got Columbus Day off to purge if need be, right?

[Z-Corn]

Had it in a fabric bag with a drawstring and an ice pack in it for the 3 hour drive from his place to the office

Wait, WTF...did he smoke it at a Ren Faire or something?

[Smoove_B]

I am 99% confident you won't get trichinosis if that makes you feel better. And you probably won't get taeniasis.

[hepcat]

Had it in a fabric bag with a drawstring and an ice pack in it for the 3 hour drive from his place to the office

Wait, WTF...did he smoke it at a Ren Faire or something?

It was one of those reusable, eco friendly grocery bags folks use these days, but it had a drawstring.

I think I'll just eat some tonight and toss the rest. If I had been smart, I would have tossed it in the freezer Wednesday when I got it, but I was sure I would eat it last night...until I had to work late and just ate out instead.

Question: If I irradiate it, what are the chances I'll get superpowers after consuming it?

I would just make sure to eat it all this weekend.

Worse comes to worse, you've already got Columbus Day off to purge if need be, right?

Sadly, I do not. I believe my bosses hates Columbus for his destruction of indigenous peoples. That or they just hates Italians.

[stessier]

For Smoove - would reheating it change your analysis? Asking for...a friend.

[hepcat]

A "friend" who'd better come out of the goddamn crawlspace at my place. You aren't getting any, I already told you!

[Zarathud]

Feed it to your guests. Then everyone wins (or loses)!

Stuck at home this weekend with the sick family, so I can’t peer pressure you in person.

[hepcat]

I'll leave whatever I don't eat in your mailbox later.

[Smoove_B]

For Smoove - would reheating it change your analysis? Asking for...a friend.

No. Common misconception that you can "cook out" anything that would make you sick. Unfortunately the one type of bacteria I would be concerned with here (Staph) produces a heat-stable toxin as it is growing in the food. It doesn't matter how hot you re-heat that food item (or for how long), it will still make you sick after consuming it if you ingest a high enough dose (like say 2.25 lbs of meat). It imparts no odor or flavor changes to the food, incidentally. Again, the issue would be how long Staph would be in the food item, growing, multiplying and releasing that toxin as part of it's biological processes. That's why I was asking about how it was handled after being smoked - because Staph would likely be introduced as part of the post-cooking handling and/or packaging.

Anecdotally, when someone says, "Oh I ate something and it gave me a stomach bug" they probably had staph poisoning. There's no such thing as a "stomach bug" - only upper or lower GI food-borne intoxication or infection. If you're luck, maybe both.

Question: If I irradiate it, what are the chances I'll get superpowers after consuming it?

Depends. Are you going to cover it with aluminum foil prior to putting it in the microwave?

[Z-Corn]

Smoove, do you believe that smoking the meat lends any degree of pathogen resistance?

I mean poor handling after cooking at the Ren Faire aside...