Random randomness

[disarm]

This is the 3rd time Ive seen a USPS mail truck delivering mail on Sunday. Ive never heard of that. It always seems to stop at the same group of mailboxes then zooms off with no other stops.

In all seriousness, they're making deliveries for Amazon. They have a special deal to drop off packages on Sundays.

[Kraken]

They also deliver Priority Express on Sundays for a premium, but that's a small sliver of their volume.

[Paingod]

I am consistently disappointed that when I manage to sneak naughty little snacks at work, they still manage to find a way to show up on the scales at home. I was being sneaky, dammit. Stop broadcasting it!

[LordMortis]

Who siphoned all of the collagen from my hands?

[Kasey Chang]

I just cooked a pound of ground beef... in the air fryer. I probably should have done it in a skillet, but I guess I just want to see how it goes. Defrosted a pound of ground beef (80/20) added some salt, chili powder, a dash of garlic powder, and some black pepper. Set air fryer to 375, leave it for 5 minutes, stir, repeat until nothing shows pink. Not too bad. Probably should have mixed in some peas or something.

[Kasey Chang]

Yeah, they seriously do. I just got my stuff delivered in like 24 hours... I ordered a 120mm fan on Saturday, I got it Sunday via USPS.

[Daehawk]

If I poured a bottle of Everclear 190 in my poor car it would think it was a V8.

I used to put a gallon per tank of Racing Blue race fuel in my Toyota Corolla back in the day. Id put 1 gal in and pull over to fill up on normal gas. Too much of it would kill your engine. My pour 4 cylinder hehe. Actually it ran the best of any car Ive had. No knocks, pings, hesitation, or knocking after shut off.

[hitbyambulance]

the battery in the Nokia 5.1 phone i got for my son two years ago appears to be failing already. i am anticipating it will need to be replaced - but i can't find any sellers of this particular battery in the US!

[dbt1949]

Amazon seems to be carrying them.

[Daehawk]

The older Trisha Hershberger gets the more she sounds like Fran Drescher.

[Daehawk]

I got my property tax refund today. But looking at it and adding it all up Im paying more property tax alone with less money than me and my wife paid together with a bit more money. Shrug. Im so tired of fooling with money and bills and taxes Im not going to bother about it until next tax.

[TheMix]

I got my property tax refund today. But looking at it and adding it all up Im paying more property tax alone with less money than me and my wife paid together with a bit more money. Shrug. Im so tired of fooling with money and bills and taxes Im not going to bother about it until next tax.

<scratches head>

Property tax has nothing to do with how many people are at the residence or how much the household income is. It's based on the perceived value of the property. Mine goes up virtually every year. Because the value of the property goes up. They still haven't added in the addition we built a few years back. I'm not looking forward to them figuring that out. That will likely double the amount.

[Daehawk]

I got my property tax refund today. But looking at it and adding it all up Im paying more property tax alone with less money than me and my wife paid together with a bit more money. Shrug. Im so tired of fooling with money and bills and taxes Im not going to bother about it until next tax.

<scratches head>

Property tax has nothing to do with how many people are at the residence or how much the household income is. It's based on the perceived value of the property. Mine goes up virtually every year. Because the value of the property goes up. They still haven't added in the addition we built a few years back. I'm not looking forward to them figuring that out. That will likely double the amount.

Me being disabled they assess a discount based on my income.

[TheMix]

I got my property tax refund today. But looking at it and adding it all up Im paying more property tax alone with less money than me and my wife paid together with a bit more money. Shrug. Im so tired of fooling with money and bills and taxes Im not going to bother about it until next tax.

<scratches head>

Property tax has nothing to do with how many people are at the residence or how much the household income is. It's based on the perceived value of the property. Mine goes up virtually every year. Because the value of the property goes up. They still haven't added in the addition we built a few years back. I'm not looking forward to them figuring that out. That will likely double the amount.

Me being disabled they assess a discount based on my income.

A discount? Or they refund a percentage of it? Assuming the latter, you are saying that they have reduced the percentage that they are refunding? That would suck since presumably the initial amount is going up. Basically a double whammy.

[Daehawk]

Normally its deducted from my total on my tax bill so when we paid it was already removed. But this being the first year Ive had to pay full taxes they would not let me sign up for it UNTIL AFTER I paid my full taxes and this time they sent me a check in the mail. I used a calculator to subtract my refund from my bill and the bill was more by $30 than what my wife used to pay. Not quite $30 but close. Yes taxes go up but I was thinking with just me now and less money Id get a better deal. See it used to all be in my wife's name is why Im having to deal with it now.

[Daehawk]

Nothing changes. Got my refund and now my little dog is squinting his left eye. I called around and a simple office visit is $50 and the exam is $40 then theres medicine...so there goes my refund I was going to use for lawnmower parts and grave cleaning. It just never fails. Im going to give him utill tomorrow to see if his eye is better. if not there it goes.

[Jaymann]

Top searches for is it illegal to... (with my guesses)

watch pornography? No, unless child
hit girls? Yes
record someone? Yes, without permission
dumpster dive? No, if not locked
collect rainwater? Crazy, but yes
catfish? Depends, mostly yes
burn money? Yes
screenshot texts? No

What think you?

[LordMortis]

record someone? Yes, without permission
dumpster dive? No, if not locked
collect rainwater? Crazy, but yes

Don't these depend where you are?

[Jaymann]

record someone? Yes, without permission
dumpster dive? No, if not locked
collect rainwater? Crazy, but yes

Don't these depend where you are?

Well I suppose anything goes if you are in the jungles of Thailand, just don't badmouth the king.

[Holman]

collect rainwater? Crazy, but yes

We're just now installing a rain barrel to collect rainwater. It fills from the downspout, and you can attach a hose to the bottom to get free lawn/garden watering where you want it. (It'll also prevent heavy rain from ponding at a certain low point in the yard.)

[Blackhawk]

Top searches for is it illegal to... (with my guesses)

watch pornography? No, unless child
hit girls? Yes
record someone? Yes, without permission
dumpster dive? No, if not locked
collect rainwater? Crazy, but yes
catfish? Depends, mostly yes
burn money? Yes
screenshot texts? No

What think you?

A lot of those are too conditional.

watch pornography? Yes, if it's illegal pornography
hit girls? No, if engaged in a sport with hitting
record someone? No, not in public
collect rainwater? Nope. Unless you're in Colorado or Utah (and in Utah you can get a permit)
catfish? Depends heavily on what kind of 'catfishing' you're talking about. But generally no, provided you have a license for the one, and only if you're committing fraud or other illegal activities (including defamation) with the other

[Daehawk]

Like Id tell anyone I was collecting free water from the sky if it was illegal.

[Kraken]

collect rainwater? Crazy, but yes

We're just now installing a rain barrel to collect rainwater. It fills from the downspout, and you can attach a hose to the bottom to get free lawn/garden watering where you want it. (It'll also prevent heavy rain from ponding at a certain low point in the yard.)

I was disappointed with my rain barrel when I learned that they create very little water pressure. I had planned to hook it up to my soaker hose and water my garden, but the flow never makes it past the first 15-20' of hose. I use it to fill a watering can, and not much else.

[Holman]

collect rainwater? Crazy, but yes

We're just now installing a rain barrel to collect rainwater. It fills from the downspout, and you can attach a hose to the bottom to get free lawn/garden watering where you want it. (It'll also prevent heavy rain from ponding at a certain low point in the yard.)

I was disappointed with my rain barrel when I learned that they create very little water pressure. I had planned to hook it up to my soaker hose and water my garden, but the flow never makes it past the first 15-20' of hose. I use it to fill a watering can, and not much else.

Even that would be fine. But we're setting ours up at the line where 75% of roof water seems to dump down the gutter, so we might have pretty good volume to work worth. If nothing else, we're preventing a regular and unpleasant flood in one garden corner.

[Smoove_B]

For those getting into the rain barrel thing, I would strongly recommend you consider getting yourself a six pack of mosquito dunks. Just follow the directions for how much to put in the barrel - you'll likely break each one in half or quarters and that pack might last you a few years.

I know most barrels have a cover that the down spout drains into, but, uhh...life finds a way. They're non-toxic to humans and your plants (it's a soil bacteria that eats mosquito larvae) and they'll stop your barrel from becoming a potential mosquito nightmare. I've seen things....

[Kraken]

collect rainwater? Crazy, but yes

We're just now installing a rain barrel to collect rainwater. It fills from the downspout, and you can attach a hose to the bottom to get free lawn/garden watering where you want it. (It'll also prevent heavy rain from ponding at a certain low point in the yard.)

I was disappointed with my rain barrel when I learned that they create very little water pressure. I had planned to hook it up to my soaker hose and water my garden, but the flow never makes it past the first 15-20' of hose. I use it to fill a watering can, and not much else.

Even that would be fine. But we're setting ours up at the line where 75% of roof water seems to dump down the gutter, so we might have pretty good volume to work worth. If nothing else, we're preventing a regular and unpleasant flood in one garden corner.

Hmm, using it to redirect rather than store-and-release isn't something I'd thought of, but you could do that with a gutter extender. Rainbarrels are for storage. (I don't mean to sound anti-rainbarrel; I've had one for decades and I still set it up every spring. It just isn't the garden boon that I wanted it to be.)

For those getting into the rain barrel thing, I would strongly recommend you consider getting yourself a six pack of mosquito dunks. Just follow the directions for how much to put in the barrel - you'll likely break each one in half or quarters and that pack might last you a few years.

I know most barrels have a cover that the down spout drains into, but, uhh...life finds a way. They're non-toxic to humans and your plants (it's a soil bacteria that eats mosquito larvae) and they'll stop your barrel from becoming a potential mosquito nightmare. I've seen things....

Good tip for something I hadn't considered.

[dbt1949]

We had a rain barrel at our last house. It was full of sand and rocks that were used as filters and the water went into our cistern. We had no city water and as we live on a mountain there is no water to drill into. Just caverns of natural gas. So we had a pump and cistern to give us water. We have a natural spring set up a couple of miles away so we could refill all our battles in the summer months when rain was scarce.

[Paingod]

We have a natural spring set up a couple of miles away so we could refill all our battles in the summer months when rain was scarce.

<images of dbt on a goat-drawn cart, yelling defiantly at his neighbors, he charges down the hill at them>
You may take our easement, but you'll never take our showers!

[dbt1949]

Showers?

[Holman]

Hmm, using it to redirect rather than store-and-release isn't something I'd thought of, but you could do that with a gutter extender. Rainbarrels are for storage.

We thought about that, but the geometry of it all means the extension would go right across the patio.

[Holman]

For those getting into the rain barrel thing, I would strongly recommend you consider getting yourself a six pack of mosquito dunks. Just follow the directions for how much to put in the barrel - you'll likely break each one in half or quarters and that pack might last you a few years.

I know most barrels have a cover that the down spout drains into, but, uhh...life finds a way. They're non-toxic to humans and your plants (it's a soil bacteria that eats mosquito larvae) and they'll stop your barrel from becoming a potential mosquito nightmare. I've seen things....

Thanks! Mosquitos are my mortal enemies.

[Sudy]

I don't know whom I want to slap more, "influencers", or people who actually use the term to describe said personalities unironically.

[stessier]

Alkaline “Real Water” linked to liver failure in kids—and reports are rising

You'd think there'd be testing and regulation of food products.

At least five infants and children in Nevada have suffered acute non-viral hepatitis, resulting in liver failure, after drinking “alkalized” water by the brand “Real Water,” local and federal regulators reported this week. At least six others fell ill with less severe conditions after drinking the water—and additional reports continue to surface.

The initial five infants and children with liver failure fell ill in November 2020 and required hospitalization, but they have since recovered. They lived in four different households in southern Nevada. The other six ill people—three adults and three children—came from at least two of those same households and reported vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, and fatigue, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

They are having a little trouble finding some important people.

Missing records, people

“Therefore, the FDA is reiterating that it is crucial that consumers, restaurants, distributors, and retailers not drink, cook with, sell, or serve ‘Real Water’ alkaline water,” the agency said in the update Wednesday. “Given a lack of cooperation by the firm, FDA investigators have been unable to complete investigations,” the update went on. The agency has twice issued the company a Demand for Records under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

But on Monday, a lawyer for Real Water may have provided an explanation for the company’s lack of cooperation. Real Water attorney Charles LoBello told District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez in a hearing that he could not find the company’s plant manager or lead technician, according to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“There has been difficulty getting ahold of them,” LoBello said, asking the judge for at least two weeks to track them down.

[Smoove_B]

Well, if I was in charge of adding lead to bottled water, you wouldn't be able to find me either!

[Max Peck]

This whole Real Water thing is funnier to me than it should be, given that "Real Water" is a brand-name in Cyberpunk 2077.

[Daehawk]

I bought a cherry coke today. Its actually very good. When Coca Cola first started selling them I wasn't impressed. Never much cared for them. I think I was spoiled because my first cherry cokes were hand made in a small Scottsboro Alabama family run pharmacy with snack counter and ice cream parlor. Like you see in 1950s stuff. Its still there I think. They would add crushed ice to a glass, then cola syrup, some cherry juice, then fill it with carbonated water and stir vigorously. SO GOOD. So the stuff that came to store shelves just wasn't the same. Its been years since I bought one. But the one I got today is pretty good. Probably be even better if they sold them in the small glass bottles.

[Paingod]

I've shifted from Coke/Pepsi (Mountain Dew) to "Frannies Sparkling Love" sodas, sold in 1L bottles. 0-Calorie, caffeinated, lacking Aspartame, and including a few minerals - they're "better" for you than just about any of those bigger brands - and they cover flavors you might look for in other sodas: Cherry, Lemon, Orange, Vanilla, Grapefruit, Ginger Ale, Chocolate. Best part: they're $0.59 each. I've been enjoying getting wired in a variety of flavors!

[Jaymann]

Yo Kraken, did you feel the Not-an-Earthquake this AM?

[Daehawk]

For low cal soda I wish we could get one with just carb water and fruit juice and NO fake or yucky supposedly natural sweetners if we dont get sugar in it. ALL of them make me sick and taste awful to me.

[gilraen]

I found a recipe for homemade cream soda, so I think I'm going to try it with my SodaStream. Sugar, vanilla and water - healthy, right?