Random randomness

[Smoove_B]

As long as we're talking weed murder, does anyone have a good, preferably organic solution for killing weeds in the cracks of my sidewalk?

You strike me as the type of refined gentleman that would like a weed torch.

[Kraken]

It it the time of year where we start take interest in the weather by proxy of your tomatoes yet?

For that matter were you the first OOer to profess their joy in gardening before it became an OO thing? I'm not part of that group. I hate weeding with a thousand fiery daggers from hell, so I don't enjoy gardening. A result is I don't pay attention to the gardening threads that begin sprouting around this time of year every year.

I've been gardening the same patch of dirt for nearly 30 years now. I won't plant until Memday weekend, but I'll start preparing the soil a couple of weeks before then.

I hate weeding, too, which is why I lay down landscaping cloth between my rows. Doing that up front saves a lot of work later on.

[dbt1949]

Weed torch! Think of all the wonderful things I could do around here with that!

[Isgrimnur]

[Max Peck]

(Someone once told me to use white vinegar. How would that work? Dilute it or not? Pour it or spray it?)

How to Use Vinegar (Acetic Acid) as a Herbicide

[Holman]

(Someone once told me to use white vinegar. How would that work? Dilute it or not? Pour it or spray it?)

How to Use Vinegar (Acetic Acid) as a Herbicide

Thanks!

Too late, though, since from now on I go nowhere without my weed torch.

[Blackhawk]

Chargers.

I have chargers for my phone, my watch, my VR headset, Michelle's phone, multiple rechargeable battery banks, my headphones, my mouse, about five sets of controllers, the Switch, my laptop, my tablet, my Kindle, my earbuds, plus 'extra' hook ups for miscellaneous items, and that's not counting the old Android phones I use as radios (only two, but still.) All of them require accessibility (the ability to reach the charger cord, a spot to place the item being charged.) Many of them require positioning (my phone needs to be near my chair, headphones and mouse on my desk, etc.) Some are pronged outlets, some are USB-A, some are USB-C.

And all of them need an outlet to plug into - which is the biggest problem, especially in this house. The living room has four PCs/monitors, router, three consoles, TV, speakers, a powered HDMI switch, eight lights, one fan, the window air conditioner, plus a good chunk of the chargers. That's 24 plugs (31 on a quick count including chargers.) 31 plugs in the living room. With four wall outlets (eight sockets.) That;'s almost four plugs per socket, and so many wires that the room looks like Spiderman's been here.

I need to figure out a better solution.

[Blackhawk]

I need to figure out a better solution.

Reading about options makes me want to punch safety experts. "Don't use more than one power strip!" "Don't use power strips permanently - they're temporary fixes!" Yeah, fuck you. Apparently you still live in 1985 where people had one TV, one radio, and three lamps to worry about. What are the recommended solutions? There is exactly one: "Call and electrician to update your wiring and install more outlets!" I would have to ring my entire tiny living room with outlets every few feet (and every foot near the desk) to even come close. Installing more outlets and rewiring the entire house isn't a solution for people with budgets, nor for people living in the 20th century.

As it is, I try to at least limit which outlets bear the most load. One outlet has the TVs and consoles. Another outlet handles the AC, my laptop, and one lamp. Unfortunately, that means that the other two outlets have to handle all four PCs, monitors, the router, and a few odds and ends (like a powered USB hub.) I doubt that chargers are using a ton of power when not plugged into a device (quick research shows is nearly zero.)

[hepcat]

None of this would be an issue if Edison hadn't destroyed Tesla.

[dbt1949]

Oneway I cut down on needing space for things is to get a USB hub. One line to my USB port and 4-8 outlets for USB connections.

[Blackhawk]

Oneway I cut down on needing space for things is to get a USB hub. One line to my USB port and 4-8 outlets for USB connections.

I actually thought about that, but too many of the chargers need to be in different places. I need my phone and watch near where I relax. Michelle needs her phone charger near her. Neither of us have space there for the battery chargers, tablet, Kindle, etc. The only place with room for the battery charges is the kids' room, but that's a terrible place to have the Kindle or tablet that I use in my room. I really like the idea of a central 'charge hub', and may try to work something out for a few of the items (maybe in my room), but the stuff still has to be spread out.

[gilraen]

But does your phone (or watch, or tablet) really need to be on the charger the entire time? Are you actively using them for hours, long enough to drain the battery? Why not just plug them back in when you are done using them in your room or wherever?

[Jaymann]

I don't know if it helps, but I charge stuff in a bathroom outlet that otherwise goes unused.

[Blackhawk]

But does your phone (or watch, or tablet) really need to be on the charger the entire time? Are you actively using them for hours, long enough to drain the battery? Why not just plug them back in when you are done using them in your room or wherever?

I need the phone near me whether it is charging or not. It is only occasionally on the charger, but when it is, I need it to be within reach.

The problem with using the kids' room for stuff like the tablet is that they go to bed earlier than the rest of us.

[disarm]

It's pretty easy to upgrade a standard duplex receptacle (two outlet) to a double duplex (four outlet) yourself, and won't break the bank either. I expanded one in our garage last week, and it took me less than an hour and $10 in materials (standard duplex receptacle, "old work" double gang box, wire and twist-on wire connectors).

The hardest part is swapping out the old box for a bigger one because it's typically nailed to a stud. You have to use a hacksaw to cut the nails between the box and the stud, remove the old box, expand the hole in your wall to fit the double box, and screw the new box in place. After that, wiring the new plug is actually really simple...just follow a diagram easily found online or packed in with the new receptacle. As long as you remember to shut off the appropriate circuit first, it's very easy and safe. Just don't forget to turn off the power before playing around

[Blackhawk]

Not here. Our walls are solid brick and predate electrically wired houses. When they ran wire the ran a piece of square conduit all the way around on the baseboard a few inches from the floor with outlets here and there along the way.

[Jaymon]

Some newer table lamps have wireless phone chargers as the base, and often have usb plugs as well, that could reduce some clutter.

there are console controller stands that hold and charge multiple controllers off a single plug, if you don't have any of those already

[hitbyambulance]

some girl i was really into in the late 90s lived in this squat/punk house in Minneapolis for a while - i was horrified to find that place had no power on the second floor, so everything on that floor was plugged into an extension cord that was plugged into one outlet downstairs.

Spoiler:

the whole building burned down the next year

[Jaymann]

That reminds me of the time when there was a literal garage band that played in the garage below my apartment, and the garage had no power. So I let them plug into an extension cord which came in through my window. When I wanted to sleep I had to pull the plug on them.

[Blackhawk]

Some newer table lamps have wireless phone chargers as the base, and often have usb plugs as well, that could reduce some clutter.

there are console controller stands that hold and charge multiple controllers off a single plug, if you don't have any of those already

Yeah, I've got some of both. As usual when I bitch about something, I've already either eliminated or implemented the easy solutions.

[Madmarcus]

I feel your pain on lack of outlets.

We've solved the issue by ruthlessly restricting how many things are charging. I have one charger for my phone, Kindle, and wireless headphones. My wife has one charger for her iPad, phone, and Airpods. Her Kindle uses my charger or she switches cords on her charger (that's the normal solution). Pretty much we can get away with charging phones over night and other things during the day.It feels like this should be able to work for you but since you have so many more devices that need charging you would have to be very organized about when they were recharging.

[Kraken]

We've been threatening for years to hire an electrician to replace our fuse box with circuit breakers, upgrade wiring that needs it, and fix or replace various outlets and switches and fixtures. I even contacted one electrician for an estimate just before the pandemic hit. Now we're pouring our resources into our Lansing house. When we can finally take a profit on that place, we will have cash to invest in our own house, where we need to remedy years of neglect. Starting with electricity.

When we bought this house 32 years ago our inspector told us that our 60-amp electrical service was not up to modern needs. Turned out that wasn't exactly true; it's still covering our modern needs with myriad power strips and 3-prong adapters. But it's so outdated that I was unable to change insurance companies a couple of years ago.

The thing about owning an old (106 years) house is that you're always buying infrastructure upgrades that you need rather than the cosmetic makeovers that you want.

[disarm]

Not here. Our walls are solid brick and predate electrically wired houses. When they ran wire the ran a piece of square conduit all the way around on the baseboard a few inches from the floor with outlets here and there along the way.

I actually thought about previous descriptions of your house and walls as I was typing, but decide to finished the post anyway.

The job might actually be easier if all your wiring runs through conduit outside the walls with electrical boxes attached to the wall itself...no need to cut out old boxes or make bigger holes in the wall. Just replace the single box with a double and wire in the new receptacle. Adding the new receptacle is super easy... pretty much just have to add a couple jumper wires to send power from the original outlet to the new one. Like I said before, clear diagrams are easily found online. When I did mine, the most time-consuming part was removing the old box and mounting a new one in the wall...seems like you get to skip a lot of that work.

[Blackhawk]

I may look. I'm more concerned about finding double outlets that are designed to straddle conduit the ways these do.

And I'm no electrician, but is adding more outlets to the same wire really solve the problem? I thought it was more about how much the wiring was designed to handle than the physical plugs themselves.

[Paingod]

If you're going to use a non-standard outlet cover for your new construction, please let me know in advance so I don't order a slew of "Ivory" faceplates and "White" keystone jacks for my cabling to match all the "Black" electrical outlets you put in yesterday that weren't there three days ago when I placed my order.

[The Meal]

BH,

I've suggested them as a product for you under a different context, but one possible solution to the too-many-things-to-keep-charged conundrum may be these cables (and associated adaptors). There are a handful of kits of different sizes and lengths to fit folks' needs. The one I linked has USB-C, USB-micro, Apple lightning, etc. connectors which you put into your devices, then also provides USB-A cables that have the associated adaptor at the opposite end. Where this adaptor meets your device, there are REE magnets which hold the charging cable in place. What it accomplishes is that every device can be charged by the same cable (regardless of what sort of adaptor it typically uses). In essence you could have a few of these cables in strategic locations, and then every chargeable device in your home could be juiced back up at any of those spots.

It's a pretty cost-effective and super convenient method in our household. I like it because the magnet connection is "universal" directionally, so I can read in bed and charge at the same time, without fear for which side of my body I have the device positioned because of how I need to route the cable. But the fact that everything is a simple magnet connection is also super convenient.

Worth considering, at least.

[Blackhawk]

BH,

I've suggested them as a product for you under a different context, but one possible solution to the too-many-things-to-keep-charged conundrum may be these cables (and associated adaptors). There are a handful of kits of different sizes and lengths to fit folks' needs. The one I linked has USB-C, USB-micro, Apple lightning, etc. connectors which you put into your devices, then also provides USB-A cables that have the associated adaptor at the opposite end. Where this adaptor meets your device, there are REE magnets which hold the charging cable in place. What it accomplishes is that every device can be charged by the same cable (regardless of what sort of adaptor it typically uses). In essence you could have a few of these cables in strategic locations, and then every chargeable device in your home could be juiced back up at any of those spots.

It's a pretty cost-effective and super convenient method in our household. I like it because the magnet connection is "universal" directionally, so I can read in bed and charge at the same time, without fear for which side of my body I have the device positioned because of how I need to route the cable. But the fact that everything is a simple magnet connection is also super convenient.

Worth considering, at least.

Absolutely. The last time (your post reminded me), spending money wasn't really an option. Thanks to the stimulus I have a little flexibility right now, and may ponder whether this would be a solution. Part of the problem is that I have a smattering of older devices that I don't use every day, but want charged when I do need them (for instance, since I got my Kindle Paperwhite for reading, I rarely use my tablet, but I don't never use my tablet.) I should consider just getting in the habit of cycling through which secondary device is charging each day as part of my routine. In the morning get up, make the bed, cycle the device. This product would help with that if I could find an appropriate space.

What really brought all this to a frustration head was that we got a couple of items over the holidays that require plugs, then I got two more for my birthday this week that require charging (Michelle gave me a watch, my Sister gave me a Quest 2.) I had finally, just barely reached a point where I was able to get everything plugged in, but there are so many cables sitting next to me that they're a tangled mess. There is a micro/mini USB for my headphones, a proprietary (I think) charger for the Garmin, a USB-C for the quest 2, plus a wireless charger for my phone. And that isn't counting the cords for the room lamp, the reading light, and my laptop. All wrapped around each other in a 6"x 2' gap between my chair and the shelf. But I managed to get them all plugged in at once, balanced between two sets of outlets.

And then we had a hot day and I had to plug the giant-ass air conditioner plug in. Why companies still put their bricks on the plug instead of inline on the wire is beyond me, but it really screws things up. I really just need to invest in a set of these.

[TheMix]

I got a mixed set of those little adapters a while ago from Monoprice. Might be worth checking there first. Though assuming you are Prime, Amazon does have the shipping perk.

Also, one thing to remember with adding more outlets, power strips, etc., is that the circuit will only allow a certain amount of draw. So adding more sockets to plug things in could result in your breakers/fuses blowing much more often. For charging cables that aren't all used at the same time, probably not an issue. Adding more computers, printers, tvs, etc., however, could cause problems. Before we renovated, I was using the tiny 3rd bedroom as a computer room. It only had a 10amp fuse. When I'd turn on the printer, everything else would die...

[Daehawk]

2 power strips per outlets all filled with plugs. Solves the problem..for a day

Actually I have the same'ish problem as usual. Old house...few plugs...no grounds. Lots of extension cords. The back rooms and bathroom have no plugs at all. The PC and stuff around it IS actually on 2 power strips. If I added one more item to them it would blow the fuse. Ask me how I know. And yes fuses with a couple breakers. And both type fuses...bar and screw in.

[coopasonic]

If it makes anyone feel any better, I have a fairly large house built in 2008. I still have an abundance of power strips and charging cables all over the place. There are 3 PC with monitors in my office, plus a printer, wifi router, ethernet hub plus chargers for all the kids devices (phones, tablets, switch, DS) all on 6 outlets. Obviously it would be worse in a an old house, but even more recent builds aren't really great for the ridiculous amount of technology we carry around these days.

On thing I will say is that there is only one seat that has local charging in the family room and that is because my youngest is using an older iphone (6S) as an ipod touch basically that desperately needs a new battery. Weaking me "me too" argument is that charging setup has an entire outlet all to itself. It's just the office that is heavily burdened.

[Blackhawk]

I got a mixed set of those little adapters a while ago from Monoprice. Might be worth checking there first. Though assuming you are Prime, Amazon does have the shipping perk.

Also, one thing to remember with adding more outlets, power strips, etc., is that the circuit will only allow a certain amount of draw. So adding more sockets to plug things in could result in your breakers/fuses blowing much more often. For charging cables that aren't all used at the same time, probably not an issue. Adding more computers, printers, tvs, etc., however, could cause problems. Before we renovated, I was using the tiny 3rd bedroom as a computer room. It only had a 10amp fuse. When I'd turn on the printer, everything else would die...

I know. This was one thing I actually dumped some research into. There are actually two circuits in the living room, but there is no way to arrange the electronics to even out the draw. Circuit #1 covers one side, circuit #2 covers the opposite side, but the entire room and a 6' wide door separates them. #1 has all four PCs and monitors (mine, Caiden's, the old spare-part-dump machine that I use second monitor style, and the one hooked to the TV that used to handle most of our TV needs (the Roku took most of that over starting this year), plus the consoles and router. Circuit #2 has the lamps, chargers, and AC. I'd love to work at least one of the PCs onto the second circuit, but it would require plugging it into the same outlet as the

Despite that, in 18 years here we've never tripped the breaker. But if we happen to have the microwave running in the kitchen and someone turns on the hair drier in the bathroom? Darkness.

[Daehawk]

Solar charger?

[Cylus Maxii]

I bought an Anker Powerport charger on Amazon with about 8 powered USB ports and just plugged all of the cables in.

[Isgrimnur]

[hitbyambulance]

i actually try to avoid buying anything with non-user serviceable Li-Ion batteries (which is just about everything that is portable, now). i don't like this trend.

[Blackhawk]

i actually try to avoid buying anything with non-user serviceable Li-Ion batteries (which is just about everything that is portable, now). i don't like this trend.

But but but... if your item doesn't stop working out of the blue, how will you know it's time to upgrade to this year's model?

[Daehawk]

I think the bananas I bought at the store are some kinda weird super bananas. Ive never seen bananas like these. They are a solid bright yellow with a green tinged stem. They're heavier than a normal banana and have a super banana smell to them. The peel is very thick and rubbery and where the seems are it has ridges that kinda come to a point almost. The eatable part inside looks normal sized and is very moist and creamy.

Its as if I found the perfect bananas. I expect to have super powers or become an ancient God any day now.

[LordMortis]

4th day in the office in a row. What's up with that? I even have to fill up my gas tank on the way home tonight. I also spent $45 cash out of pocket. Three bills removed to buy a thing today. That nearly double the total cash I have spent out of pocket for the previous 14 months combined.

Everything is out of sorts.

[Daehawk]

First time for this one. Seems there some hidden war going on in my house but I never see the battlefield. Just the casualties hobbling around or dead on the floor. Large black carpenter ants I think are what they are. Not the tiny little kitchen ants I usually have. These are the type you usually see outside in big trees and such. I never see fighting going on or what is doing all this but I can vacuum the floor and in 1 hour theres more bodies laying around. Some body parts sometimes. And then theres survivors who are stumbling around in shell shock. I try to pick up and toss out any alive of the veterans but finish off those too injured and vacuum all the rest up.

[dbt1949]

Yeah, tho I walk thru the valley of the Shadow of Death.......................I swear I'll never trust Google Maps again.