Random randomness

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 5:49 pm

For some reason Ive been a day ahead all week. Thought Thursday was Friday thought today was Monday...its happened before but not as strongly as this time. Im for reals 1 day ahead. Dammit.

Also I set my alarm for 8am this morn. I remember it showing 4 hours until time to get up. Its was like 3am something last night. This morn no alarm. Suns up. I checked the alarm and it said something like 10:12am alarm..so I went back to sleep as the day was screwed anyways. Woke up at nearly 4pm. it never went off. I dont remember hearing a single alarm. I check it..say its set to 8am. WTF.

My day is strange. It feels like Monday >.I thought it was Monday...and my alarm was whacked.

ALIENS.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 8:48 pm

Sugar. It bugs me the way they sell it still. Used to be 5 lb bag good to go. Then they dropped it by a pound so now you pay the same for 4 lb that you used to pay for 5 lb. But its not enough. Its off. Instead I buy the 10 lb bag at Walmart. Thats too much. Barely fits my cabinet. But it lasts. 4 lb is too little 10 lb is too much. Why cant they go back to selling me 5 lb bags of sugar?

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 9:18 pm

We’ve had that conversation before; 5 lbs of sugar is a lifetime supply for most of us. The smallest canister lasts me for years.

But I have the same gripe about the ever-shrinking pound of coffee. First it fell to 14 oz, then 12, and now I’m seeing 10.5 oz packages. I don’t like shrinkflation.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 9:47 pm

I can remember a big round can of coffee ...maybe a pound?...being $1.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 9:59 pm

Kraken wrote: Sun Jul 23, 2023 9:18 pm We’ve had that conversation before; 5 lbs of sugar is a lifetime supply for most of us. The smallest canister lasts me for years.

But I have the same gripe about the ever-shrinking pound of coffee. First it fell to 14 oz, then 12, and now I’m seeing 10.5 oz packages. I don’t like shrinkflation.

I put it in my coffee. I go through about a four pounds in a year, maybe. I know I seem to get a free or next to free bag once a year and now I've got 2 4 lb bags in the wings after the current one empties. I get the warehouse club container of Folgers and it's the same size as it ever was. Only it keeps going up in price. In the before times, it could be found on sale for under $7 about four times a year, so for $14 I could buy enough to get to the next sale. Now I'm luck to see a sale for $12 twice a year and likely will be higher by the next time it rolls around. The grocers are putting containers 1/3 the size on sale for $7 nowadays. For freezer and cupboard foods, shrinkflation is thing for me though. Everything is smaller for more. Except a the three pound chicken is still a $5 chicken at the warehouse clubs and that is a staple for me. And pound burger is still a pound of burger, only 80/20 used to be had on sale at $1.99 now it's a sale for $3.59, only you have to buy six pounds to get it at that price. Small packs of cheese used to be 10 oz. Now their 6 and more expensive than they were before. But hey, a slice of cheese used to be 100 calories, now it's a mere 80 calories. So, yeah?

My calorie counting LoseIt app is funny. It can't keep up with shrinkflation volumes. The same packaged food can often be found in the app three times with three different calorie amounts and it is not uncommon for them all to be too high. Doesn't bother me though. I'd rather my calorie count enter too high and see a bigger benefit than too low and wonder why I can't lose any weight.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:08 pm

I can use a 4 lb bag of sugar in a month. a 10 lb in two months. Just depends on what Im making with it. If Im making kool-aid and tea to drink during the month it goes fast. Or if Im baking with it. When I burn out on teas and kool-aid it will sit for a good while again and I wont have to buy it each month.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 1:56 am

Daehawk wrote: Sun Jul 23, 2023 9:47 pm I can remember a big round can of coffee ...maybe a pound?...being $1.

Y’know what else I miss? Vacuum-sealed metal cans. Used to be when you cut one of those open, the aroma of fresh ground coffee filled the house with a satisfying WHOOSH. Little foil bags just don’t cut it.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 2:13 am

Ya I remember that.

Fardaza · Post by **Fardaza** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:00 am

Kraken wrote: Sun Jul 23, 2023 12:33 pm Here are a bunch to choose from.

With the "legs" down, it's a bench. With them up, it's a kneeler. The tool pouch hangs from either side. Folds flat if storage space is tight. This is what enables my arthritic old body to keep gardening.

Look on Amazon for garden stools with wheels (or some such). You'll find several go-cart looking things. I've thought about getting one of these for a long time now because I can't get down on my knees and back up without risk of falling. Here's an example of one from Harbor Freight.
https://www.harborfreight.com/rolling-w ... 2KEALw_wcB
I found several around $50.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 1:38 pm

Dont ya just hate that? When we're young we can run and fall and be just fine. Now we fall just standing up and hurt ourselves. Sucks. Ive got to where I loath going down my front steps.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:36 pm

I accidentally got mashed cauliflower today instead of mashed potatoes. Any body try them before ?

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:44 pm

Tastes the same to me really if seasoned.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:59 pm

Daehawk wrote: Sun Jul 23, 2023 8:48 pm Sugar. It bugs me the way they sell it still. Used to be 5 lb bag good to go. Then they dropped it by a pound so now you pay the same for 4 lb that you used to pay for 5 lb. But its not enough. Its off. Instead I buy the 10 lb bag at Walmart. Thats too much. Barely fits my cabinet. But it lasts. 4 lb is too little 10 lb is too much. Why cant they go back to selling me 5 lb bags of sugar?

Daehawk wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 10:07 pm Sugar makers. Can we just all go back to the 5 lbs bag and drop the 4 lbs crap. Its not enough. Its too small. And my cabinets say the 10 lbs sugar is too big. It fits but it shouldn't have to.

So lets stop changing the sizes of stuff and go back to changing the prices. I want my full 5 lbs of sugar that lasts just the right amount and costs the right amount and fits in my cabinet just like it always did. Ok?

And as mentioned, the consensus wasn't that the sugar bags were too small, it's that you seem to go through obscene amount of sugar.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:59 pm

dbt1949 wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:36 pm I accidentally got mashed cauliflower today instead of mashed potatoes. Any body try them before ?

I enjoy them quite a bit. They taste great with a bit of pepper.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 11:34 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:59 pm
Daehawk wrote: Sun Jul 23, 2023 8:48 pm Sugar. It bugs me the way they sell it still. Used to be 5 lb bag good to go. Then they dropped it by a pound so now you pay the same for 4 lb that you used to pay for 5 lb. But its not enough. Its off. Instead I buy the 10 lb bag at Walmart. Thats too much. Barely fits my cabinet. But it lasts. 4 lb is too little 10 lb is too much. Why cant they go back to selling me 5 lb bags of sugar?

Daehawk wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 10:07 pm Sugar makers. Can we just all go back to the 5 lbs bag and drop the 4 lbs crap. Its not enough. Its too small. And my cabinets say the 10 lbs sugar is too big. It fits but it shouldn't have to.

So lets stop changing the sizes of stuff and go back to changing the prices. I want my full 5 lbs of sugar that lasts just the right amount and costs the right amount and fits in my cabinet just like it always did. Ok?
And as mentioned, the consensus wasn't that the sugar bags were too small, it's that you seem to go through obscene amount of sugar.

Amen.

Daehawk, as you yourself observed earlier in this thread:

Daehawk wrote: Fri Sep 30, 2022 6:32 pmWith no teeth I figure people take me for a meth head. Or at the least a poor southerner..which I am.

Keep in mind, drinking such vast quantities of sugary and acidic beverages is among the worst activities you can possibly do if you wish to preserve what few remaining teeth you do have left within your skull. So, if you are embarrassed by the fact that people may already view you as a meth head, and you do not possess the thousands of dollars necessary for quality dental repairs or replacement? Put some serious thought and effort towards ending such reckless and self-destructive habits, and exercise just a wee bit of self-discipline.

Because realistically, there's no rational reason you should ever be consuming a 4lb bag of sugar in a month or a 10lb bag in two months as a single individual. That is bat-shit crazy.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:13 am

To be fair to him, I have very few teeth left on the sides of my mouth (I have only about a square quarter-inch of chewing surface in my mouth, total), and the teeth that are left ache constantly. I eat well and have really good dental hygiene. Being poor and on disability is a curse to teeth, including the fact that medicare doesn't cover dental care. I haven't had a dental check-up in... 9 years, and the only reason it isn't 16 years is because there was a one-time exception when I was about to get radiation therapy. Even then, it was only a checkup, not care.

Combine that with bad genetics (I'm the first person that I know of in my family who didn't have full dentures by 40), and, well - there's not much you can do.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:23 am

Blackhawk wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:13 am To be fair to him, I have very few teeth left on the sides of my mouth (I have only about a square quarter-inch of chewing surface in my mouth, total), and the teeth that are left ache constantly. I eat well and have really good dental hygiene. Being poor and on disability is a curse to teeth, including the fact that medicare doesn't cover dental care. I haven't had a dental check-up in... 9 years, and the only reason it isn't 16 years is because there was a one-time exception when I was about to get radiation therapy. Even then, it was only a checkup, not care.

Combine that with bad genetics (I'm the first person that I know of in my family who didn't have full dentures by 40), and, well - there's not much you can do.

I do not doubt that for a second, and totally empathise. But this strikes me as all the more reason to curtail consuming the vast quantities of sugary and acidic beverages Daehawk apparently indulges in as much as possible. Because such indulgences seem certain to only make an already bad situation that much worse.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:25 am

Not unreasonable.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:11 am

Yeah, yeah. Ok, Nick.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:12 am

Every six months, my hygienist shames my teeth for having coffee and tobacco stains, but I don’t care about having a movie-star smile. I just want them to stay in my head until I die. So far, so good. I've been able to afford dental hygiene my whole life, with a few gaps due to unemployment. Both of my parents had dentures by the time they were 60. IDK if they even still make dentures.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:14 am

They do. I've been wishing for them for years (or for the various partial equivalents.) I am terrified of one of the two teeth that meet breaking or developing unfixable cavities. The day they do, I'm on a liquid diet for life.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 7:02 am

Kraken wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:12 am Every six months, my hygienist shames my teeth for having coffee and tobacco stains, but I don’t care about having a movie-star smile. I just want them to stay in my head until I die. So far, so good. I've been able to afford dental hygiene my whole life, with a few gaps due to unemployment. Both of my parents had dentures by the time they were 60. IDK if they even still make dentures.

They started talking crowns on my last visit for the first time in life. Right as I'm about to lose insurance. I'm not even sure I know what a crown it. I haven't had a filling in years and years but my existing ones, I guess are wearing thing and there just isn't enough to gouge them out and put new ones in.

And their lydocaine novacaine mix never works. Whatever happened nitrous? It never killed the pain either but at least it got me high enough that I could be distracted from the pain.

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 7:09 am

Blackhawk wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:14 am They do. I've been wishing for them for years (or for the various partial equivalents.) I am terrified of one of the two teeth that meet breaking or developing unfixable cavities. The day they do, I'm on a liquid diet for life.

Two words: medical tourism

https://www.emergencydentistsusa.com/ch ... countries/

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:09 am

em2nought wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 7:09 am
Blackhawk wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:14 am They do. I've been wishing for them for years (or for the various partial equivalents.) I am terrified of one of the two teeth that meet breaking or developing unfixable cavities. The day they do, I'm on a liquid diet for life.
Two words: medical tourism

https://www.emergencydentistsusa.com/ch ... countries/

Medical tourism requires the funds to travel.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:12 am

LordMortis wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 7:02 am
They started talking crowns on my last visit for the first time in life. Right as I'm about to lose insurance. I'm not even sure I know what a crown it. I haven't had a filling in years and years but my existing ones, I guess are wearing thing and there just isn't enough to gouge them out and put new ones in.

I have several crowns. They basically remove the top of your tooth, leaving the root and innards, and then cover that with a cap that's machined to precisely match the original tooth. It’s done when there isn’t enough natural tooth left to hold a filling or the decayed area is just too large to fill. My dentist gets about $1,500 for a crown.

Beyond crowns, there are implants. That’s where they anchor an artificial tooth into your jaw. Those are crazy expensive; Wife had most of her mouth replaced over the course of three years at a cost of >$20,000. Insurance paid $4,500 of that. I tried to steer her to dentures instead, but she says nobody does dentures anymore. I was wondering if they're still an option for poor people.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:42 pm

hitbyambulance wrote: Fri Jul 07, 2023 4:49 pm
gilraen wrote: Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:36 pm
hitbyambulance wrote: Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:16 pm so i have Alarm Clock Xtreme on the Amazon app store already, looks like i need to register the Fire to access it - but i've never registered this with Amazon. guess what? registering first-gen Fire tablets no longer appears to work??? (yes, i've added the 2FA code to the end of the password, as suggested in one forum). going to have to contact Amazon support for this, but i am not sure it's going to go anywhere. possible solution: root and install custom generic Android firmware on this.
I think you are overcomplicating this. You can sideload Google Play Store on a Fire tablet without having to root it, it's pretty easy.
i actually got this working on the Proscan tablet - going to test drive it to see how it works in daily use...

this didn't work for my needs. i set the 'external app' for alarm, but when it opens TuneIn, it doesn't actually connect to the audio stream (and even if it did, there would be no way to snooze the alarm).

Jaymon · Post by **Jaymon** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 4:56 pm

Daehawk wrote: Thu Jul 20, 2023 7:53 pm This stuff is good.

Yes it is, we have been putting that stuff on just about everything. Tried the whole line, I like em all.
My waisteline does not, may need to dial it back a bit. Right after we finish all the jars in the cupboard.

Jaymon · Post by **Jaymon** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 5:00 pm

dbt1949 wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:36 pm I accidentally got mashed cauliflower today instead of mashed potatoes. Any body try them before ?

Yes.

Its not mashed potato. As long as you don't try and pretend its mashed potato, and think that cauliflower tastes OK, then its pretty good.

I get some cauliflower hash browns sometimes, I like those.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 5:04 pm

Kraken wrote: Sun Jul 23, 2023 12:33 pm Here are a bunch to choose from.

With the "legs" down, it's a bench. With them up, it's a kneeler. The tool pouch hangs from either side. Folds flat if storage space is tight. This is what enables my arthritic old body to keep gardening.

Mom said she try it if I got her one, so I can get two cheap ones and get free shipping.

... Only there are no cheap ones available today. There was $15 one with free shipping yesterday. 2 would have covered the minimum purchase price. Today the cheapest is $32 for which I might as well go to a B&M store. Ah well. Maybe as I move more toward necessity the price will not seem to high.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 6:04 pm

Jaymon wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 5:00 pm
dbt1949 wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:36 pm I accidentally got mashed cauliflower today instead of mashed potatoes. Any body try them before ?
Yes.

Its not mashed potato. As long as you don't try and pretend its mashed potato, and think that cauliflower tastes OK, then its pretty good.

I get some cauliflower hash browns sometimes, I like those.

I make a great casserole from them. We loved it. Wife just liked it boiled. I also make a great brussels sprout casserole.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 6:13 pm

I just tried the mashed cauliflower. It tasted okay but had the consistency of soup. I added instant mashed potato mix to thicken it up. I won't be having seconds.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 9:20 am

So Sunday night I had awful insomnia and felt just generally like crap. Worked from home the next day after I did get some sleep. Then Tuesday I felt fine and started off to work when my car's brakes decided to seize up (i'm guessing the calipers). Dropped that off at the shop near me and have no idea when they can get to it.

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night with horrible chills. I had to put on two extra blankets to get comfortable. No fever this morning, but I'm not taking chances. I'm also freaking out because there's what appears to be a bite on my forearm that is taking its sweet time getting better (noticed it Sunday evening). So now I'm convinced I'm having an allergic reaction to an insect bite or something.

To top it all off, this Saturday is a major rollout for a piece of software which I have to take care of. And that's stressing me out.

Next week is Gencon. I hope I make it.

Sincerely,

Someone who wanted to whine.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 9:30 am

Yay stress. My old boss keeps begging me to come back to work. No can do. Not even with all the medical bills, an impending roof needing work, and a car nearing end of life. After stress and inactive lifestyle for so long I can't imagine taking it back. My brain and body won't accept it any more.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:29 am

To be fair, it’s the brown recluse spider bite that’s stressing me out the most

edit: and they called about the car. it was seized calipers, like i thought. But apparently it was bad enough it needed new rotors and pads in addition to the new calipers. all told, it was near 800 bucks.

still, it's better than trying to buy a new or used car in this current economic clime. my honda civic may have 112,000 miles on it, but it still runs fine (except for this whole brake thing).

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 2:34 pm

hitbyambulance wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 5:32 pm
em2nought wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 5:27 pm
hitbyambulance wrote: Wed Jun 28, 2023 6:53 pm
Blackhawk wrote: Wed Jun 28, 2023 5:12 pm I've actually got a couple of old android phones around the house that now serve only as media devices. I keep them on the guest network so that I don't have to worry about older versions of Android, keep them plugged in, and have them hooked to the speakers. They're surprisingly versatile. The one in my room serves for music when I want it, podcasts when I'm painting, and as a customizable white noise machine at night, and given that I'm using free apps for it all, it costs me zero (well, maybe two or three bucks a year from being plugged in.)
be sure to monitor them for swelling Li-Ion batteries...
So the mention of monitoring the battery sent me to amazon to buy a cheap white noise device, and I'm enjoying the sound of a gentle thunderstorm every night since. If I was in a really cold location I'd probably be listening to the crackling fire instead.
i'm a LectroFan fan

https://www.soundofsleep.com/lectrofan/

I seem to prefer a surf sound on the amazon's choice unit I bought. I've come to realize that the reason I find it comforting is because it also sounds like the vaporizer which my mother used to place in my room when I was a sickly child. Might be a placebo effect going on here in addition to the sound masking.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:22 pm

I hit the snooze 28 times today. Got up 4 1/2 hours later than I originally wanted. But 3pm is better than the 4pm I did yesterday. But I didn't get to sleep last night until 5am.

Its so easy before I go to bed to tell myself to get up in the morning. I plan to get up. Im wasting life and time and such. but then when its time to get up I just dont want to face or start the day. I even tell myself what i said to myself the night before. No help.

Maybe tomorrow Ill get up. If I can go to bed earlier maybe. But by staying in bed all day today it makes going to bed in 8 hours and getting to sleep difficult. Its so much easier to sleep longer and go to bed later than go to bed earlier and get up earlier.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:26 pm

Depression isn't an easy fix. Perhaps check some resources and consider finding a local grief support group. I say this as someone that's been watching you (from a distance) spiral for years.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:28 pm

You know you're getting olde when you have to figure out how to get out of the chair you're sitting in.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:30 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:26 pm Depression isn't an easy fix. Perhaps check some resources and consider finding a local grief support group. I say this as someone that's been watching you (from a distance) spiral for years.

Im out of my self meds. Wont be able to buy any until next week. Flat broke again for a week. And next month is back to paying all the bills.

I dream the most when Im hitting snooze too. I can have many dreams or one long dream that continues after each time i hit snooze. Had many this time but one. I had about dream about my wife cheating on me then later that dream continued. Ugh . Awful.

Ive tried Omega 3 before for my cholesterol and such. My wife used to take it. it was ok at first but then started making me feel sick at my stomach. I will try that again when I try the St. John’s Wort. Sounds promising. but cant now. Dont have the money to spare. ive had to stop using stuff this week to have some left until payday next week. I have gotten my little dogs food down to one last serving before I go get some the next day next week. He almost ran out. Im doing without. The house is killing me near the finish line. Next year though I can try this stuff...and other stuff Im doing without.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 4:47 pm

I think I saw online where Microsoft own the trademark to the brand X so now Mush Musk has no name, a great company has no recognition and now what who knows.

2nd thought. I miss seeing cars from the 70s and 80s on the road. Can still see the 90s. But the older ones seem gone. Cars like the old 70s ear muscle cars or 80s ear Trans-Ams and Camaros. I know its been to long and lot of those are junk now anyways but in the 90s they were still abundant. Hell we owned one. They would be nice to see again.