Random randomness

[Daehawk]

Oh I cant do crispy these days. Never was a fan but losing teeth makes crispy totally out for me. its funny cause iwas just starting to get into a bit a crispy foods when the teeth started going.

[TheMix]

Well... you could always cook them and then soak them in the sauce afterwards.

Or peel off the skin before eating them...
Or skip the baking powder and drying to prevent the skin from crisping up as much...

Though, if you end up not eating the skin, you definitely don't want to put any sauce/flavoring on before you cook, since it'll most likely get removed before you eat.

[Daehawk]

ok thank you . looking forward to trying some in a few weeks when I get my ebt.

Ok now how would I go about preserving an old knot hole from a tree? The giant oak in the front yard that died around 2014 had a large knot hole in it that squirrels used as baby nests. There were always some little babies peeking their heads out when the tree was alive.

Anyways the entire knot hole simply fell off the other month and I brought it in. Its neat as you can see the hollow in the tree now and I thought it was small but that space is like a window ac size space.

Anyways the knot hole is dry and rotted but still fairly strong. its in one piece. but small bits and sawdust are coming off it making a mess. Id like to make it permanently keepable. Im thinking some kinda spray can stuff. Im not sure other than shellac. What would be best to spray it with to seal for the years to come?

EDIT: O collected a big hornets nest years ago from the corner of the house the winter after they left. Its fine and online says to do nothing to it and it will keep forever. So lucked out there.

[Daehawk]

I dont heat anything in the oven. I always use the microwave. Fast and not hot. Of course its for re heating not cooking from scratch. Especially meat..eeew. I remember my dad getting a microwave around 1979 or 1980 and one of the first things he tried was a ham or steak or chicken or some meat. Man that thing was rubbery. it woulda made a good basketball.

[TheMix]

Note: if you make the wings in the oven, but then wait for them to cool and reheat them in the microwave, the skin will definitely be softer. Especially if you put a small dish of water in with them (helps keep them from drying out from the microwave).

I've known people that just used hair spray to preserve things. But that was mostly flowers and plants. Not sure how well it would work. And I would expect you'd want something more serious for long term preservation.

[jztemple2]

This summer with less stuff for us on cable TV, my wife and I have been going all nostalgic with episodes of the old detective shows Mannix, Cannon and Barnaby Jones. But our favorite by far is the original Hawaii Five-O which ran from 1968 to 1980. We had visited Hawaii several times in the early eighties so there are a lot of places where the show filmed that we recognize.

But what's also fun are all the nostalgic bit of, well, stuff on the show. The block long cars that bounce every time they come to a stop , the pay phones, the clothes and all the tech from the period, like credit card imprinters...


...telex machines...


...and one we saw today, an automatic phone dialer.

[Daehawk]

Watched them too but dont recall Mannix. Cannon and Barnaby Jones we watched...especially Jones. But LOVED Hawaii Five-O. that killed drum and horns intro has stayed with me all my life. I still play it on YouTube sometimes. The zoom in to him on top the hotel. Pretty girls. Fun show. I didn't know it ran to 1980 though. I think I watched it from like 74-79. I was only 5 in 74.

And those credit card things. I remember Kmart using one in the early 80s even when dad would use a card. THUNK THUNK. Looking back the paperwork must have been a nightmare and took up entire warehouses.

[telcta]

I remember at a department store when my parents used a credit card, the cashier would look through a gigantic book checking to see if the credit card number was not stolen. Then my mom would ask for the carbon with the receipt. How far we’ve come… and how far behind we still are using magnetic strips on cards.

[jztemple2]

Recently someone on the show went into a phone booth to make a person-to-person call and I had to look up Operator assistance on Wikipedia to remember the difference between that type of call and a station-to-station one

[Jaymann]

My favorite old school method was a collect call where they would refuse to accept the charges, but knew that you arrived somewhere safely.

[Isgrimnur]

Bargain Hunter, baby! With your very own knuckle-buster!

[Kraken]

And those credit card things. I remember Kmart using one in the early 80s even when dad would use a card. THUNK THUNK. Looking back the paperwork must have been a nightmare and took up entire warehouses.

We called them "ker-chunkers." I remember what an advance it was when they came out with carbonless copies. The top copy that went to the bank was onionskin and had very little bulk, but we did have to keep the yellow merchant copies on file for a year or two for some reason. We had to call for an authorization number on purchases over $75.

[Isgrimnur]

My first long-term job was working as a call center operator for collect, 3rd party, and credit card billing for calls.

[jztemple2]

We called them "ker-chunkers." I remember what an advance it was when they came out with carbonless copies. The top copy that went to the bank was onionskin and had very little bulk, but we did have to keep the yellow merchant copies on file for a year or two for some reason. We had to call for an authorization number on purchases over $75.

My wife remembers that those multiple forms were printed on ncr paper, ncr being "no carbon required".

She thought at first I was talking about mimeograph copies... now that was old school, writing or typing up a stencil to be put on the roller of a mimeograph machine

[Daehawk]

mimeograph machine...I need to look up how those work and print SO many pages with one sheet. I remember using them in school when the teacher needed a helper. God I loved the smell of those things.

[dbt1949]

When I was young and went and visiting my grandparents in Topeka Kansas they had a rotary phone with separate receiver and transmitter like you saw in the 30 and 40s movies.

[Isgrimnur]

Redding

Another reference is by Bill Bryson in his memoir The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. He writes, "Of all the tragic losses since the 1960s, mimeograph paper may be the greatest. With its rapturously fragrant, sweetly aromatic pale blue ink, mimeograph paper was literally intoxicating. Two deep drafts of a freshly run-off mimeograph worksheet and I would be the education system's willing slave for up to seven hours."[1] Bryson appears have confused dittos with mimeographs, however. The latter have no particular odor.

Properly known (news to me) as a spirit duplicator:

In 1938, a nonflammable solvent was invented by Johan Bjorksten to allow the possibility of using electrically driven machines without the concern of the flammability of pure methyl/ethyl alcohol. "A composition composed of 10% of trichlorofluoromethane and 90% of a mixture of 50% methyl alcohol, 40% ethyl alcohol, 5% water and 5% of ethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether.

Trichlorofluoromethane, also called freon-11, CFC-11, or R-11, is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). It is a colorless, faintly ethereal, and sweetish-smelling liquid that boils around room temperature. CFC-11 is a Class 1 ozone-depleting substance which damages Earth's protective stratospheric ozone layer.

[Daehawk]

I have a bank card that doesn't have raised letters or my name on the front. they are all on the back and flush..just printing. That's a first for me.

[hitbyambulance]

i remember the big ditto machine being a prominent feature of the elementary school office (and i think the library). i am trying to remember in what grades those were phased out and Xerox took over... definitely had them in kindergarten and first grade, pretty sure they weren't in use anymore by the time i was in sixth grade.

[disarm]

We started off with ditto machines in elementary school, but I have a strangely clear memory of it being replaced by a risograph when I was in 5th or 6th grade (1987-88).

[LordMortis]

My favorite old school method was a collect call where they would refuse to accept the charges, but knew that you arrived somewhere safely.

I had friends who did that to arrange pickup to save a dime (and later 20 cents), I guess. My parents were just rigid about timing, so no dime saving necessary. Not too much later came phone click emulators, slugs, and drilling holes in quarters to pull them back out after triggering the register. Watching the fight between the thieves and security was interesting in the 80s. I knew a kid tried as an adult for counterfeiting and sent to federal prison for photo copying a dollar and using it in the change machines at laundromats. I knew another kid who got a dial in number to a pentagon modem and had to trial, had all of his computer stuff seized, and was forbidden from "working on computers until he was 25". Oh, the 80s.

...

We called them dittos. I have no idea if they were mimeographs or not. I remember teachers had to order them ahead of time from resource and they were limited. I vaguely remember the rolls and inking process but the purple ink and smell are still vivid.

[Daehawk]

Ya dittos here too.

[Unagi]

We started off with ditto machines in elementary school, but I have a strangely clear memory of it being replaced by a risograph when I was in 5th or 6th grade (1987-88).

“Collect call from, ‘Weaddababy Itsaboy’, will you accept the charges?”

[TheMix]

Ditto?

[Jaymann]

I remember when we had to pay monks to make copies by hand. Man, did they make a lot of mistakes.

[coopasonic]

How far we’ve come… and how far behind we still are using magnetic strips on cards.

Are you really still swiping? I mean I know the strip still exists, but I can't recall the last time I used it.

[telcta]

How far we’ve come… and how far behind we still are using magnetic strips on cards.

Are you really still swiping? I mean I know the strip still exists, but I can't recall the last time I used it.

I am not. We changed the gas station we go to because they were still swiping.

I'm not diligent when I give my card at a restaurant. I do notice on some receipts it says entry method - Chip but I can't say 100% if a card was swiped. Some restaurants are starting to use QR codes on the bill to pay online which I really like. I just need to get past the feeling of being watched as I leave a restaurant when it looks like I haven't paid. I asked one server how they know when someone pays and they said the check/table info just disappears from her monitor.

[jztemple2]

I remember when we had to pay monks to make copies by hand. Man, did they make a lot of mistakes.

And boy were the lines at Kinkos really long in those days!

[Daehawk]

[Max Peck]

[Daehawk]

I was looking at a old b/w pic of feds chasing a bootlegger who they say they accidentally shot and killed. When they searched the car they found 20 cases of liquor.

Here in my own area a highway patrolman and a detective died when the chopper they were in looking for marijuana clipped high power lines and crashed and were killed.

I just dont see why anyone should lose their life over a bit of alcohol or some plant that a lot of other states already have fully legal. Just stupid ass nonsense.

[Sudy]

The question we should be asking ourselves is what the satanic panic or drug war of today is and what it will be tomorrow.

[Fardaza]

I remember when we had to pay monks to make copies by hand. Man, did they make a lot of mistakes.

And boy were the lines at Kinkos really long in those days!

My wife was a caretaker for the father of the guy who founded Kinkos. He had been a grocery store owner in his younger days. He told us that he was the one that convinced his son to sell other stuff and not just have photocopy machines. He also said the name came from his son having kinky hair.

[Daehawk]

Max....I love and know every sound in that video...and miss them all. I think the only one it lacked was someone blowing into the NES cart to get it to work lol.

[Daehawk]

The news reported on some place....town or state or county......that has lowered teacher requirements due to lack of teachers nationwide. They already cut down on school days and even a day or something off the week. Now they dropped requirements for teachers like no longer need a college degree and such. Weird times. Also they will allow veterans to teach without a certificate at all. Im hoping they mean vet teachers as I dont see what being a military vet has to do with teaching anymore than grocery store bagperson.

[gilraen]

The news reported on some place....town or state or county......that has lowered teacher requirements due to lack of teachers nationwide. They already cut down on school days and even a day or something off the week. Now they dropped requirements for teachers like no longer need a college degree and such. Weird times. Also they will allow veterans to teach without a certificate at all. Im hoping they mean vet teachers as I dont see what being a military vet has to do with teaching anymore than grocery store bagperson.

Pretty sure that was in Florida...

[jztemple2]

The news reported on some place....town or state or county......that has lowered teacher requirements due to lack of teachers nationwide. They already cut down on school days and even a day or something off the week. Now they dropped requirements for teachers like no longer need a college degree and such. Weird times. Also they will allow veterans to teach without a certificate at all. Im hoping they mean vet teachers as I dont see what being a military vet has to do with teaching anymore than grocery store bagperson.

Pretty sure that was in Florida...

My wife, who was a school teacher in Florida, isn't sure about the veterans being good teachers, but agrees that there is nothing magical about a college degree making someone a good teacher. Or frankly for a lot of other jobs.

[paulbaxter]

There's a young lady (maybe mid to late 30s) who goes to my church. I give her a ride to church a couple of times a month since she's blind, and thus obviously can't drive. Been helping with those rides for maybe a year now. Anyhow, last time I gave her a ride she tells me about one of neighbors. Said she was optimistic that he would be able to help her with some of her mid-week transportation needs for groceries, etc. However, apparently he sends her a text during the week just saying "I'm coming over." She tells him she needs a few minutes to get ready for a visitor. He comes over to her place and starts pawing at her and trying to kiss her. She fends him off and tells him to leave. Then she mentioned to me that her neighbor is 70 and married.

I just don't understand what makes some men think that sort of thing would be OK or welcome. Or perhaps he thought since she's blind he could manipulate her. Anyhow, just found the whole story a bit upsetting.

[Holman]

I'm going back and forth on whether 70 is too old for a punch to the face.

[Holman]

I knew another kid who got a dial in number to a pentagon modem and had to trial, had all of his computer stuff seized, and was forbidden from "working on computers until he was 25". Oh, the 80s.

In the early 80s, I and my friends got into the BBS scene (300 baud, baby!). I'll admit to downloading pirated Warez, but in my defense they seldom worked.

One of my best friends, though, got caught up in the doings of a group that was trading credit card numbers (etc) online. One morning the FBI came to his house and walked away with his Apple II, all his discs, some notebooks and paper folders, etc. He was interviewed but was never charged with anything.

As near as I can tell, however, the FBI still has one of my D&D character sheets.