Random randomness

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 4:10 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Fri Dec 22, 2023 9:57 pm How about when you get delivery confirmation with a photo and it's clearly not your house. But after some sleuthing you determine it's your neighbor's house down the street. However, despite photographic evidence of said delivery, they deny ever receiving the package.

The shipper handled it (refund), but it's always nice to meet the people in your neighborhood and learn they're apparently degenerates.

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 4:44 pm

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 12:45 pm

So I got this new tablet for Xmas. Had to have Google account which was a hassle but after it was all over I tried to turn it off but it didn't work. So this thing talks to me and says "what can I do for you?" I said turn this thing off. "That function is not supported" it replys. So I yell at it "turn the fucking phone off!" and it turns off.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:47 pm

Wouldn't be surprised it if just went to sleep instead waiting for the next wish.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Sun Dec 24, 2023 3:02 pm

jztemple2 wrote:Speaking of Hallmark movies, did anyone post this yet?

When I sent this to my wife, who is a big Hallmark fan, she did confirm that in the past Hallmark Christmas movies (we were talking about those specifically) had only about four plot lines. She says those that this year they have been doing much better with a greater variety of plots and settings.

Just in case anyone wanted to know

This seems true. Saw a snippet of a time travel one called A Biltmore Christmas earlier this year that looked interesting enough to tape the next showing, which is tomorrow.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 4:27 pm

Just saw this via The Drive. Interesting...

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:59 am

Well I had January's bills all worked out even the new credit card payment. But now Im losing my SNAP benefits for Jan due to a missed phone interview.

I missed it Dec 11th. I got a letter stating I missed it about 2 weeks ago stating I must reschedule the interview and complete the interview by Dec 31. Thats Sunday..so sun and sat they are closed. I tried off and on since getting that letter to contact them. For that week when id call at 8 when they shouldopen I got a recording stating their offic is closed for the day to call back another time.

Well I figured they were closed for the holidays. But I called each day anyways around noon to be sure. Then Id get the msg you have a wait time of...and it was 200 to 400 min..thats over 3 hours and 6 hours. I cant stay on hold that long. Called monday...closed ..same recording. Tried tuesday same. Then it hit me...they are central time..1 hour behind me. DAMN.....So today I call a bit before 9 and got that same msg. Not only was I mistaken on the time but their msg is misleading. it says closed for the day...but they aren't ..they open at 9 my time. So two whammies were causing me trouble...

So I called right at 9am my time and bam was 0 wait and I spoke to them.

Unfortunately since I never got them earlier and rescheduled my phone interview before the end of the month they will not give me my Jan food stamps and make me reapply then for it all over. So now I wont get food for Jan. I have my property taxes and cc bill not to mention a high power bill.

luckily I still have a good amount of food from those botched grocery deliveries. So will have some food..not sure how much. Ill still have to buy drinks and sweet and any canned meat or veggies Ill need.

So could be worse but not that much. Fun start to the new year.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:27 am

Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:59 am Well I had January's bills all worked out even the new credit card payment. But now Im losing my SNAP benefits for Jan due to a missed phone interview.

I missed it Dec 11th. I got a letter stating I missed it about 2 weeks ago stating I must reschedule the interview and complete the interview by Dec 31. Thats Sunday..so sun and sat they are closed. I tried off and on since getting that letter to contact them. For that week when id call at 8 when they shouldopen I got a recording stating their offic is closed for the day to call back another time.

Well I figured they were closed for the holidays. But I called each day anyways around noon to be sure. Then Id get the msg you have a wait time of...and it was 200 to 400 min..thats over 3 hours and 6 hours. I cant stay on hold that long. Called monday...closed ..same recording. Tried tuesday same. Then it hit me...they are central time..1 hour behind me. DAMN.....So today I call a bit before 9 and got that same msg. Not only was I mistaken on the time but their msg is misleading. it says closed for the day...but they aren't ..they open at 9 my time. So two whammies were causing me trouble...

So I called right at 9am my time and bam was 0 wait and I spoke to them.

Unfortunately since I never got them earlier and rescheduled my phone interview before the end of the month they will not give me my Jan food stamps and make me reapply then for it all over. So now I wont get food for Jan. I have my property taxes and cc bill not to mention a high power bill.

luckily I still have a good amount of food from those botched grocery deliveries. So will have some food..not sure how much. Ill still have to buy drinks and sweet and any canned meat or veggies Ill need.

So could be worse but not that much. Fun start to the new year.

FWIW, if you follow the advice I previously provided to manage your benefits online, I suspect you could've rescheduled the interview using your online account instead of trying to contact them by phone:

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2023 4:31 pm
Daehawk wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2023 3:53 pm Got a letter from DHS today and an application for renewing my SNAP EBT benefits. It clearly states Im to return this application form in the provided envelope in this letter they sent me. But there is NO return self addressed envelope in there. SO now I have no idea where to address and send this and my phone interview is scheduled for Dec 3.

I called the help number they have listed. Fell asleep on hold and woke an hour later and was still on hold. Called my local office and get to a recording after a big menu msg only to be told sorry no one available. I called repeatedly 15 minutes.

Stupid fucking government places and their workers. How do they expect to ever get anything done if they fail at the simplest part on their end of providing a envelope then have no way to contact them!!??????????
Seems like it may be simpler and easier by taking the initiative to apply for and manage your benefits online, which you should be able to do by setting up an account here.

FWIW, I found that site by simply typing "Tennessee SNAP EBT program" into a search engine, and visiting the first result, which takes you here. From there, the "Apply for SNAP Benefits and Upload Documents Here" button takes you to the site above.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:51 am

Perhaps but I didn't remember that and it wasn't mentioned in the letter.

The phone agent sent me there and said I could click apply. But I cant . No apply ...I can click the apply or upload but once there its only upload...no apply...yet. im thinking when they end in Jan I can then see an apply button.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 1:43 pm

Adblocker?

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 2:54 pm

...or maybe try a different browser

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 3:12 pm

I had to get rid of adblocker here awhile back as I couldn't get youtube.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 3:43 pm

dbt1949 wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 3:12 pm I had to get rid of adblocker here awhile back as I couldn't get youtube.

FWIW, the Brave browser does a terrific job of providing a familiar browser experience along with rock solid privacy and security enabled by default. So, it will block ads and trackers -- including Youtube ads -- while preserving Youtube functionality.

Of course, the same is certainly possible using Firefox, but may require further finessing.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 4:07 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 3:43 pm Of course, the same is certainly possible using Firefox, but may require further finessing.

FF plus Ad Blocker ulitmate seems to do the job for me with not additional futzing. OtOH, FF is RAM hawg and even on machines where I have gigs of RAM to spare, I just hate how it abuses what's available and leaks memory over time.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:54 pm

Ugh I went back to bed at noon and just got up. I hope I can sleep tonight but doubt it. Took me until 4am last night and I got up at 8am. Sleeping all the time really screws up you night sleep lol.

Credit card question....if my bill is due by the 3rd and I pay it on the 3rd is it considered late? So far Ive been perfect in paying it..they even sent me an email today congratulating me for it. I have asked it be changed to the 10th but Jan it will still be the 3rd and my check comes on the 3rd.

Im SO worried about my bills right now. Everything is going wrong. I think i have enough though to get by Jan but no more. My little dog needs to see the vet. He has a fresh blood mucus that comes out his left nostril when he sneezes. been that way a week but I cant afford another vet bill right now in this coming month due to loss of food stamps, property tax partly due and other things. Its all weighing heavy.Ill be glad when this NEXT year is over.

telcta · Post by **telcta** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:58 pm

Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:54 pm Credit card question....if my bill is due by the 3rd and I pay it on the 3rd is it considered late?

If you paid online the day it’s due it shouldn’t be considered late. I do this all the time and never had a problem. I try to keep my money earning interest in my bank account as long as possible. I never pay bills when I get a statement.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:26 pm

telcta wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:58 pm
Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:54 pm Credit card question....if my bill is due by the 3rd and I pay it on the 3rd is it considered late?
If you paid online the day it’s due it shouldn’t be considered late. I do this all the time and never had a problem. I try to keep my money earning interest in my bank account as long as possible. I never pay bills when I get a statement.

Assuming it goes through on the 3rd. Personally, if I set up a payment on the 3rd, it'll be counted on the 4th. I never come anywhere near the due date, so I'm not sure if they'd give me the benefit of the doubt or not.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:31 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:26 pm
telcta wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:58 pm
Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:54 pm Credit card question....if my bill is due by the 3rd and I pay it on the 3rd is it considered late?
If you paid online the day it’s due it shouldn’t be considered late. I do this all the time and never had a problem. I try to keep my money earning interest in my bank account as long as possible. I never pay bills when I get a statement.
Assuming it goes through on the 3rd. Personally, if I set up a payment on the 3rd, it'll be counted on the 4th. I never come anywhere near the due date, so I'm not sure if they'd give me the benefit of the doubt or not.

I always pay 1-2 days before the due date just for peace of mind. Interest charges are a bitch. If it's an electronic payment, though, you can count on it landing on the date specified.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:35 pm

Kraken wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:31 pm
Blackhawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:26 pm
telcta wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:58 pm
Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:54 pm Credit card question....if my bill is due by the 3rd and I pay it on the 3rd is it considered late?
If you paid online the day it’s due it shouldn’t be considered late. I do this all the time and never had a problem. I try to keep my money earning interest in my bank account as long as possible. I never pay bills when I get a statement.
Assuming it goes through on the 3rd. Personally, if I set up a payment on the 3rd, it'll be counted on the 4th. I never come anywhere near the due date, so I'm not sure if they'd give me the benefit of the doubt or not.
I always pay 1-2 days before the due date just for peace of mind. Interest charges are a bitch. If it's an electronic payment, though, you can count on it landing on the date specified.

I generally pay on the 3rd or 4th, and my due date is in the 20s. By then I'll usually have made two payments, either of which would have cleared the minimum. But even electronic payments take until the next day to clear, even if I specify it's to be paid immediately (and this is Chase and a well-established national bank.)

telcta · Post by **telcta** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:55 pm

As long as I'm given a confirmation code from the site that I initiated payment, I feel good that I won't have an issue. Sometimes it takes a day or two to actually process the payment from my checking account. I prefer to setup autopay on the day it's due if offered.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 9:36 pm

I woulda paid. I have money in my pocket for weeks now I just cant get to the bank. I cant afford to pay an uber $30 to deposit $100. I really have needed it in the bank but have no way so nothing I can do. My property taxes are due by March. $300. I MAY be able to pay $100 Jan and $100 Feb and pray they dont take my discount away for paying the last $100 late on March. I dont think they will..though they may add $20 or so to my costs. I just cant get out and now with all this shit Im having happen I was going to pay it off in Feb but cant now.

life is so annoying. Im SO close to coming out of all this. I was looking forward to July. But i mean literally everything is failing here near the end and f'n up in both mechanical or money or some way. Im gonna be lucky to make it lol. Then the way its going I wont be fully out of debt until Dec perhaps. Barring more problems and bills. For 4 damn years it was working out right. Then BAM lol.

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:04 pm

I'm not looking forward to the post office changing the address for everyone in my entire condo complex come January. For forty years people were smart enough to find units in here, and all of a sudden now delivery or emergency response can't "find" us? What a crock. We are creating too many stupid people. I just hope they don't charge me for an updated driver's license since I've been waiting for this supposedly free license change to have my motorcycle endorsement added to it instead of paying for a new license. I only intend to ride on two wheels possibly overseas on sleepy little islands if I ever get there. I'd be scared to death to ride on Florida roads with the people driving here.

What a crap load of notifications of address change to make and or pay for.

I like to make multiple payments on my "little" credit card just so the snapshot they use toward calculating your credit score doesn't show credit being over utilized. How stupid that a $500 credit card can so much impact a credit score when you also have multiple high dollar credit cards with no utilization at all. I use my "little" credit card so I don't have to give anybody my "big" credit card information most of the time.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:20 pm

telcta wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:55 pm As long as I'm given a confirmation code from the site that I initiated payment, I feel good that I won't have an issue. Sometimes it takes a day or two to actually process the payment from my checking account. I prefer to setup autopay on the day it's due if offered.

Remember when the postmark date was what mattered? This is the modern equivalent of that.

The notion of going to a bank is so retro. Money just isn't a physical thing anymore. My main client still mails me paper checks (because their payment processor wanted to take a cut for ACH transfers), but even for that I just photograph it with my phone, tap a couple of buttons, and it's available the next business day. I only go into a branch maybe once a year, probably less. My HELOC's draw period is ending in March so I need to close it and open a new one. It has a 0 balance so I've been putting it off for months, but I do want to keep that credit line active.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:00 pm

The money i have is paper and I dont have a vehicle to get to the bank..or the doctor or exchanging the battery or the vet or the tax place or the pharmacy...all places I need to be there in person for.

I need to look yt again of theres any poor folk programs for vehicle help..as in cheap junker supplied. Ive looked before and not had any success. My town / city / county / state sucks in any help for poor disabled folk/

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:02 pm

Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:00 pm The money i have is paper

Paper like cash? Or paper like check?

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:12 pm

cash

ARGH !! The SNAP EBT web portal is SO frustrating. It makes you reset your password each year or less. BUT it wants the old password then your new password. I dont know my old one..theres no button for forgot password. If I try to reset it it wants the old password again. I dotn know what to do. I know ive reset it before without knowing.

Also I can log in...when I try and it asks me for a new one to login I simply hit BACK on my browser and it takes me to my info page so I can see how my balance. But Im not sure how long it will do this trick.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:18 pm

Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:12 pm I dont know my old one..

Dude. Unacceptable. Especially considering:

I know ive reset it before

I don't want to pile on. But seriously. WTF? This isn't your password to some random gaming site. It simply boggles the mind that you haven't figured out a way to store passwords for critical things. You could try and see if there is a Contact Us link that you can use. But it's certainly not going to be easy. Or fast.

Also, don't blame the site. This one is on you.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:19 pm

Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:00 pm I need to look yt again of theres any poor folk programs for vehicle help..as in cheap junker supplied. Ive looked before and not had any success. My town / city / county / state sucks in any help for poor disabled folk/

I don't have the names on hand, but there are a number of programs like that.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:45 pm

Even after 44 years of marriage, I'm still learning new things about my wife.

This afternoon there was a mention on TV about the upcoming Gator Bowl and I mused out loud, "Is that in Orlando?", to which my wife replied, "No, it is in Jacksonville and I should know, I was a cheerleader for one of the games"

And it's even more interesting, as at the time she was in high school. Seems one of the teams (she remembers U of F, but I think it was FSU) wasn't going to be able to bring enough cheerleaders and so they were going to recruit four cheerleaders from the local high schools for the game. And it turns out, the committee which was going to select the four girls had as one of its members my wife's swim coach

. So she was given a uniform and went to rehearsals and got to perform at the game. Disappointingly, she had to give the uniform back.

And if my wife is a little vague as to the team, it's OK, since as it was, the game was back in the mid-Sixties

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:10 am

Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:12 pm ARGH !! The SNAP EBT web portal is SO frustrating. It makes you reset your password each year or less. BUT it wants the old password then your new password. I dont know my old one..theres no button for forgot password. If I try to reset it it wants the old password again. I dotn know what to do. I know ive reset it before without knowing.

Also I can log in...when I try and it asks me for a new one to login I simply hit BACK on my browser and it takes me to my info page so I can see how my balance. But Im not sure how long it will do this trick.

TheMix wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:18 pm
Daehawk wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:12 pm I dont know my old one..

Dude. Unacceptable. Especially considering:
I know ive reset it before
I don't want to pile on. But seriously. WTF? This isn't your password to some random gaming site. It simply boggles the mind that you haven't figured out a way to store passwords for critical things. You could try and see if there is a Contact Us link that you can use. But it's certainly not going to be easy. Or fast.

Also, don't blame the site. This one is on you.

Amen.

Seriously Daehawk, this is ain't the first time I've see you mention forgetting an important password or other vital log-in info. Nowadays, there's really no excuse for you not to be using a secure and reliable password manager. If you do not understand what these are or how they work, have a butcher's at the video below for two of the best free and open source tools:

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:41 am

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:10 am Seriously Daehawk, this is ain't the first time I've see you mention forgetting an important password or other vital log-in info. Nowadays, there's really no excuse for you not to be using a secure and reliable password manager.

...or if you're the real paranoid type like me, then you have a dedicated spiral bound notebook for passwords that you keep under lock and key.

Anonymous Bosch · Post by **Anonymous Bosch** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 2:46 am

em2nought wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:41 am
Anonymous Bosch wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:10 am Seriously Daehawk, this is ain't the first time I've see you mention forgetting an important password or other vital log-in info. Nowadays, there's really no excuse for you not to be using a secure and reliable password manager.
...or if you're the real paranoid type like me, then you have a dedicated spiral bound notebook for passwords that you keep under lock and key.

That's certainly more sensible than Daehawk's approach.

But if you're paranoid, it's nowhere near as secure as using an encrypted password manager with two-factor authentication. It's also more inconvenient and prone to user error, as a result of needing to manually transcribe your passwords correctly, and then accurately type them in without making any typos (which also leaves you vulnerable to key-loggers, unlike a reliable password manager). It doesn't help you generate truly random passwords or passphrases, either. Even if you're so paranoid that you just don't feel comfortable trusting an encrypted password manager, you can always use a simple technique known as 'peppering'. This boils down to using a password manager to generate, save, and paste in passwords. But additionally, you manually type in an extra three or four characters at the end of all your passwords, known only to you. But you don't enter those characters into your password manager or write them down anywhere. For example, your saved Amazon.com passphrase might be something like:

Code: Select all

Rants-Hemstitch-Editor-Uninjured

Your password manager would copy and paste this in when prompted, and you'd then manually type in your additional series of three or four characters and login, e.g. -K3Y

Meaning this is what the correctly-entered passphrase would actually be:

Code: Select all

Rants-Hemstitch-Editor-Uninjured-K3Y

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 9:34 am

Oh, that's an even better solution. Thanks for mentioning it.

telcta · Post by **telcta** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 11:59 am

I received an email from Wells Fargo regarding my mortgage and that it was sold to...

Mr. Cooper

Huh? I disregarded the email figuring it was spam. It wasn’t until I received a letter in the mail that I looked closer and Mr. Cooper is a legit Mortgage company. I finally got my welcome packet in the mail and the letter starts off:

Mr. Who? We get it. Mr. Cooper isn't exactly a normal name. That's because Mr. Cooper isn't exactly a normal company. Our name stands for a different way of doing business.

I guess I wasn't the only one dismissing their emails as a hoax.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 12:12 pm

telcta wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 11:59 am I received an email from Wells Fargo regarding my mortgage and that it was sold to...

Mr. Cooper

Huh? I disregarded the email figuring it was spam. It wasn’t until I received a letter in the mail that I looked closer and Mr. Cooper is a legit Mortgage company. I finally got my welcome packet in the mail and the letter starts off:

Mr. Who? We get it. Mr. Cooper isn't exactly a normal name. That's because Mr. Cooper isn't exactly a normal company. Our name stands for a different way of doing business.

I guess I wasn't the only one dismissing their emails as a hoax.

Are they going to raise your payments? According to my wife this is often a reason that companies sell their mortgage holdings, because they are capped in how much they can charge.

telcta · Post by **telcta** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 12:22 pm

Thankfully nothing is changing. The first bullet point in the welcome letter is, "The terms of your loan (such as interest rate and length of loan) are staying exactly the same".

I handle taxes and insurance on my own so no escrow. So far, Mr. Cooper seems better to work with than Wells Fargo.

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:12 pm

telcta wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 12:22 pm So far, Mr. Cooper seems better to work with than Wells Fargo.

That's a pretty low bar to clear.

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:22 pm

telcta wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 12:22 pm So far, Mr. Cooper seems better to work with than Wells Fargo.

When I refinanced my previous home I went through a mortgage broker. I don't even remember the lender because within a week of closing they sold the loan to Wells Fargo, a company I try to avoid at all costs.

With the sale of that home I was able to sever my ties with both Wells Fargo AND State Farm, two of my most disliked companies.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:25 pm

Huh, I've had State Farm for almost fifty years, no real issues. But maybe that's because I've been a customer for fifty years.

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:28 pm

jztemple2 wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:25 pm Huh, I've had State Farm for almost fifty years, no real issues. But maybe that's because I've been a customer for fifty years.

Just don't have the misfortune of getting into an accident with another State Farm policy holder - their desire to keep their payouts to a minimum was much larger than their willingness to make us whole after the accident.

And of course they then raised our rates for an accident where my wife was rear-ended while stopped at a stoplight.